by Bharwad Singh Murthy HardPussy

Created on: February 17, 2009   Last Updated: March 09, 2009

People know about air pollution because of global warming, but do they know what it can do on its own? Air pollution is extremely harmful.This harmful gashas been the cause of many deaths in the world. Air pollution produces chlorofluorocarbons, which are chemical compounds in the air. They contain harmful components, and negatively affect the environment if they are exposed to nature. Air pollution causes a number of lung diseases and pneumonia,which can potentially contribute to lung cancer, and can really harm people with asthma (and makesit more difficult to breathe even for healthy people). Air pollution is thought to have started when ancient people built fires.

During personal and business activities, Californians release thousands of tons of pollutants into the air every day. Although each of us may only produce a small amount of air pollution, the combined pollution from the 33 million Californians adds up to a big problem. Gasoline and diesel-powered motor vehicles such as cars, trucks, trains and boats; factories; power plants; and fireplaces are other forms of air pollution. Like photochemical pollutants, sulfur oxides contribute to the incidence of respiratory diseases.

Acid rain,a form of precipitation that contains high levels of sulfuric or nitric acids, can contaminate drinking water and vegetation, damage aquatic life, and erode buildings. When a weather condition known as a temperature inversionprevents dispersal of smog, inhabitants of the area, especially children and the elderly and chronically ill, are warned to stay indoors and avoid physical stress. The dramatic and debilitating effects of severe air pollution episodes in cities throughout the worldsuch as the London smog of 1952 that resulted in 4,000 deathshave alerted governments to the necessity for crisis procedures. Even everyday levels of air pollution may insidiously affect health and behavior. Indoor air pollution is a problem in developed countries, where efficient insulation keeps pollutants inside the structure. In less developed nations, the lack of running water and indoor sanitation can encourage respiratory infections. Carbon monoxide, for example, by driving oxygen out of the bloodstream, causes apathy, fatigue, headache, disorientation, and decreased muscular coordination and visual acuity. Every day, the average person inhales about 20,000 liters of air.

Every time we breathe, we risk inhaling dangerous chemicals that have found their way into the air. Air pollution

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