What are the consequences of air pollution?

What are the consequences of air pollution?

Air pollution has negative effects on people, ecosystems, buildings, materials and the climate. It leads to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, causes 2,200 premature deaths a year and acidifies and over-fertilizes sensitive ecosystems.

How do pollutants get into the air?

In this so-called fresh air there are also many pollutants. The main reason for this is road traffic. The countless cars on our roads pollute the air with their exhaust gases, which contain nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene or diesel soot.

What gases are released into the air by humans?

The respiratory gases, oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), can therefore easily get from one side of the alveoli to the other (diffusion). Once it has reached the alveoli, the carbon dioxide moves from the blood into the air in the lungs and oxygen is absorbed from the breathing air into the blood.

What happens when you have too much co2 in your body?

Doctors also speak of hypercapnic respiratory failure, ie carbon dioxide poisoning with simultaneous lack of oxygen in the blood. “Typical signs of hypercapnia are shortness of breath, restlessness, but also drowsiness, headaches, confusion, blue discoloration of the skin and an increased heart rate.

How can you prevent emissions?

Air pollution: What can I do?Avoid unnecessary journeys.Plan holidays nearby, avoid long flights.Walk more often, ride a bike, switch to trams, buses and trains.Carpool instead of driving alone in a car.Reduce your speed, low-speed ecodriving. Switch off the engine when stationary.

What dangers for people and the environment are associated with the smog?

Not only the environment, but also people suffer from smog. Gases such as nitrogen dioxide and ozone as well as fine dust reach the bronchi and alveoli when inhaled. This can lead to shortness of breath, coughing, bronchitis and respiratory infections and even lung cancer. Cardiovascular diseases also occur.

Why is air pollution dangerous?

Inhaling the harmful gases in connection with fine dust can cause health consequences such as cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases. There are also indications that ultrafine dust can reach the brain via the olfactory nerve.

What types of air pollution are there?

Types of air pollution Geographic (e.g. urban, rural, in different countries) Substance-related (e.g. nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, smoke) Problem-related (e.g. acid rain, seasonal smog, climate change)

What is smog Why is it dangerous?

The first symptoms can be a dry cough, swelling of the airways or shortness of breath. Long-term consequences cannot be ruled out either: the particles can even penetrate blood vessels. “This can lead to delayed inflammation or a heart attack,” warns Barzcok. Humans can hardly protect themselves from the particles.

What is smog simply explained?

Smog is an unhealthy haze made up of tiny particles of dirt in the air. Here’s the home page! When smog forms, the air is so filthy that it is hard to see and difficult to breathe. People and animals who breathe in the smog often get sick.

What is the smog?

Smog refers to air pollution caused by emissions, which occurs particularly in large cities. In general usage, it describes the presence of air pollutants in concentrations that are harmful to health and impair visibility.

How do the two types of smog differ?

The word smog is made up of the English terms smoke (smoke) and fog (fog). There are two different types of smog: London smog and Los Angeles smog. The former, known from Sherlock Holmes books, among other things, occurs in winter especially when there is little wind in inversion weather conditions.

What is the difference between summer smog and winter smog?

This type of smog occurs primarily in the cold season and is therefore called winter smog or London smog. In contrast, summer smog (“Los Angeles smog”) occurs in the warmest months of the year when UV radiation is high.

Under what conditions does smog occur?

Smog forms when a certain low-exchange weather situation occurs, the so-called inversion weather situation. Under normal conditions, the temperature in the atmosphere decreases with altitude (Figure 2). Then the warmer and thus specifically lighter soil air can rise upwards.

How is winter smog formed?

Winter smog, also known as London smog, is a dangerous form of air pollution, especially in urban areas and large cities. Winter smog is mainly caused by sulfur dioxide in the air, which in combination with water leads to sulphurous acid and sulfuric acid.

How can fog form?

Another special form of cooling fog occurs in the mountains: when moist air glides up a mountain flank, the air pressure and temperature drop. As soon as condensation occurs, uplift fog is formed. If water from a lake or river evaporates into cold air, fog can also form.

Why has winter smog become rare in Europe?

Sulfur dioxide is the main cause of winter smog. Winter smog is less common today than it used to be.

When is the ozone alarm triggered?

Ozone alarm is triggered when the ozone concentration on the ground exceeds certain thresholds.