Air
Air is virtually a source of life. Though gaseos and unseen by the human eye, air is most essential for life as we know it.
Air has other significant values which are
Air acts as the force that enable sail boats and many other vehicles that utilize waterways, to move.
Aid the process of burning. We may already be familiar with the fact that fire require oxygen to burn, and without fire, certain activities like cooking are impossible.
Air can be converted to energy by the use of mechanical devices like windmills.
These are but a few of air's importance to man. As much as air is a necessity to life it could also be harmful to life when polluted.
Adverse Effect Of Air Pollution.
Chemicals like sulfuric acid and nutric acid when suspended in air by burning fossil, combine with water droplets to produce acid rain which endangers the life of vegetation and aquatic animals.
Non-living things like marbles and tar roads are also affected by acid rain.Urban areas are characterised by a vast population of industries and refineries. Major activities within refineries emit polluted air. The polluted air when inhaled is harmful to our health and well-being
A new epidemic called Beijing cough is fast rising due to the rise of air pollution in Beijing.An Air pollutant called chlorofluorocarbon have been the sole culprit responsible for the disintegration of the ozone layer. The layer acts as a shield against ultraviolet rays which may affect the eyes and skin adversely. Now the said layer is slowly depleting due to human activities that emit this very chemical into the atmosphere.
graphical illustration of the ozone layer
- Air pollutants that contain high amount of nitrogen find their ways deep into water bodies and bring about the development of algae. The development of algae as we are very aware deteriorate the living condition of aquatic life, leading to death and total extinction of certain marine animal species.
The presence of these green parasite technically indicates exhausted oxygen.
Algae under water
When an algae plant dies, it is fed on by the same set of bacteria that decomposed it. These bacteria use up dissolved oxygen under water. The more they increase, the more oxygen they use up and the less oxygen left for other aquatic creatures to survive.
Having considered these many harmful effect of air pollution, we can now understand why we must have and value clean air at all time. Since every one is subjected to breathing, no one is safe when the air is contaminated.