Introduction to Air Quality
Air pollution is the term used to describe any harmful gases in the air we breathe. Air pollutants can be released from natural sources such as volcanoes, but humans are responsible for much of the pollution in our atmosphere, both outdoors and indoors. Air pollution leads to poor air quality, which has a range of impacts on both humans and wildlife.
The main sources or air pollution are cars, factories and power stations. The number of cars on Britains roads is constantly increasing. Each car burns fuel, and fumes containing carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates and lead come out of the exhaust pipe and pollute the air. We all rely on electricity to cook food, watch television and make our daily lives more comfortable. Electricity is made in power stations by burning coal, oil and gas. As they are burnt, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from tall chimneys, called stacks, into the atmosphere. Today, most people have central heating in their homes, but in remote areas coal is still burnt to provide heat. Harmful gases are given off which can be damaging to the environment. In the past nearly all homes were heated in this way.
In historical times, pollution from homes and factories was much worse than it is today, because there were few laws controlling its release into the air. After the Great London Smog in 1952, the Government decided to act to clean up the country's air. Although this has reduced pollution from industry and power stations, the growing number of cars on the road now poses a new pollution problem, with summertime smogs containing ozone being the main concern. Slowly, pollution from cars is being reduced by using catalytic converters and cleaner fuels. We can all help to reduce air pollution further by using more environmentally friendly forms of transport such as public transport, cycling and walking.
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