General Air Quality and Other Air Quality Issues of Concern The air we breathe can become contaminated with pollutants from a variety of natural and man-made sources. Click on General Air Quality to learn about these problems.
There are also certain effects of these pollutants on the planet that are important to learn about. Key issues of concern in air quality today include Ground Level Ozone, Particulate Matter and Visibility (or regional haze), Climate Change, Acid Deposition and Stratospheric Ozone Depletion.
Ozone Smog - Ground Level Ozone Pollution Ground level ozone is what many people call smog. In hot summer weather conditions, pollutants from power plants, industry and vehicles mix in the air and form this “secondary pollutant”. As the air moves across the land, it carries pollutants along even into rural areas and can cause unhealthy ozone conditions well away from the source of the original pollution. Click on this link to find out more about this air pollution concern.
Captain Clean Air Comic Strip - Comic Strip about Ozone Air Pollution
The "Ozone Hole" -Ozone Depletion in the Upper Atmosphere High in the sky (up in the stratosphere) ozone forms a protective layer that protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. In 1985 scientists using satellite images became very concerned when they discovered a large “hole” in the ozone layer above the Artic and Antartic. This loss of ozone - up there - is caused by certain kinds of chemicals that have been released from some of the products we use. You can find out how scientists are studying this important problem by checking out the links on this web page.
Climate Change The greenhouse effect occurs naturally and makes our planet a great place to live. However, many scientists are concerned that the air pollutants we’ve been putting into the planets’ atmosphere are helping to heat things up too much. They are concerned that it may soon be changing the climate and affecting the balance of our ecosystems in undesirable ways. Here are some links that will help you to understand this complex problem.
Acid Rain Air pollutants (sulfur and nitrogen oxides) from power plants, industry, cars and other sources cause rain, snow and fog to become acidic. Certain places have lakes, streams and soils that are particularly sensitive to this. In some cases they become so acidic that they can no longer support fish and their food chains. Forest health can also be affected from this in areas where the soils are being acidified. Find out more by clicking on these links.
Regional Haze and Fine Particulate Air pollution can reduce visibility by affecting how far we can see into the distance. This is caused by the mixture of solid particles (dust), gases and liquid droplets found in the air. The solid particles and liquid droplets are called particulate matter. Fine particles are very very small (less than 2.5 microns in size) and come from power plants, industry, motor vehicles and residential fireplaces. Click on this link to better understand this hazy problem.
Indoor Air Pollution Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the cause of indoor air quality problems in homes. Find out more about this by checking out these links.
