Anthropogenic activities from the last five decades of the 20th century have a huge impact on the environment and disturb the ecosystem with large-scale risks. We are living in this world with environmental issues like the risk of climate change, a massive increase in deforestation, extinction of rare species and plants, rising sea level, marine pollution, and air pollution. Air pollution is the concentration of unhealthy microparticles in both outdoor and indoor air. According to the estimated data of the World health organization (WHO), 9 out of 10 people are vulnerable to the risk of high concentration unhealthy air quality that reaches seven million deaths each year around the world. Approximately 80 percent of the urban areas of low and middle-income countries are highly exposed to bad air quality. There are many causes of air pollution that largely affect life above the earth. Some of the major causes of air pollution need to review by world leaders and environmental policymakers that can bring catastrophic problems for future generations and sustainable life. Before discussing the major causes of air pollution, there is a need to define air pollution. Here is the proper definition of air pollution
What is Air Pollution?
Air pollution refers to the number of harmful pollutants in the atmosphere that causes health and environmental issues when it exceeds the threshold level and guidelines issued by the environmental protection agency (EPA).
Outdoor unhealthy air quality causes a catastrophic health risk and severe climatic problems like rising in temperature. Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide are common pollutants those are hazardous pollutants that contribute to air pollution.
Types of pollutants in the Air
When it comes to air pollution one should know all knowledge about air to understand it and find a good solution for air pollution. Types of pollutants that pollute the air are classified into two main categories.
1) Visible air pollutants
By name, it is clear that such types of pollutants in the air are visible and can be seen with naked eyes, such as smog that we see in different populated cities. Sometimes it is called secondary pollutants because visible air pollutants came into existence because of different invisible air pollutants like sulfur dioxide etc.
2) Invisible air pollutants
Invisible air pollutants are more dangerous than visible air pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide. And these are called primary air pollutants.
Also read: Facts about air pollution
Causes of air pollution
Energy used in the production of goods is the main common cause of air pollution. The burning of fossil fuels contributes to different microparticles, chemicals, and gases that can worsen air quality. These poison gases when released into the atmosphere they not only cause air pollution but also contributes to climate change on a global level. Different Green House Gases (GHG’s) like carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and methane raise the earth’s temperature, create global warming, and causing different skin and respiratory diseases, allergies, and agricultural damages on a large scale. There are many causes of contaminated air in the global atmosphere; here are a few of the major causes of air pollution. We try our best to categorized major causes of air pollution in systematic order.