5/22/2018 World Geography: Understanding a Changing World - air pollution

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AIR POLLUTION
The term air pollution refers to the presence of substances in the air at a level that can harm the health and
survival of humans, other animals, and plants.

History

Air pollution has been a problem for human societies for hundreds of years. As far back as the 14th century, air
pollution was so bad in England that King Edward I banned the use of coal for making res, declaring, "whosoever
shall be found guilty of burning coal shall su er the loss of his head." The problem became much worse with the
rise of the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century. The combustion of coal became the primary means of
operating factories, running railroad engines, and heating homes and o ces. This practice produced huge
amounts of waste products, such as soot and ash, which lled the skies over most urban areas with clouds of
smoke. People continued to complain about the inconvenience of polluted air, but governments usually accepted
the problem as an unfortunate side e ect of a growing prosperity. As industrial development continued through
the 19th and 20th centuries, air pollution became a more severe and more widespread problem. By the 1950s,
parts of the Earth that had once been pristine (like the skies over the Arctic) had also started to become polluted.

E ects of Air Pollution

The most common substances present in polluted air are carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulfur
dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and lead. By far the most important
source of these pollutants is the combustion of fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. Each pollutant has speci c
harmful e ects on living organisms that vary depending on the amount of pollutant present and the time one is
exposed to the pollutant. Carbon monoxide in small doses over short periods can cause headache, nausea, and
disorientation; in larger doses, it can cause loss of consciousness and death. Long-term exposure to oxides of
nitrogen or sulfur dioxide can produce bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema, and other respiratory disorders.
VOCs and ozone also act as irritants to the lungs, and can cause respiratory disorders as well as making the lungs
more sensitive to other irritants. Particulate matter consists of tiny particles of unburned carbon and other solids
that lodge in lung tissue, causing a variety of respiratory problems. Lead is a toxic material that can cause various
physical and mental disorders, including reproductive and digestive problems and intellectual disability.

Air pollutants can also produce other harmful e ects. Smog (a form of air pollution produced when sunlight acts
on pollutants to form a smoky fog) is responsible for reduced visibility that may result in automobile or airplane
accidents. Oxides of nitrogen and sulfur dioxide can attack plants, destroying leaves, owers, and fruits. Most air
pollutants also have health e ects on domestic animals like those on humans. Mercury in the air dissolves in
water, where it is ingested by aquatic plants and animals and becomes part of the food chain.

Legislation

The earliest legislation in the United States dealing with air pollution was the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955,
allocating $5 million to the states to carry out research on air pollution. That act was followed by a series of Clean
Air Acts and amendments in the 1960s, none of which was very e ective in reducing air pollution. The rst
successful piece of legislation concerned with air pollution was the Clean Air Act of 1970. The act established
National Ambient Air Quality Standards and New Source Performance Standards that form the bases of air
pollution reduction programs even today. It also created standards for automobile emissions. The 1970 act has
been amended and revised a number of times, most importantly in 1977 and 1990.

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5/22/2018 World Geography: Understanding a Changing World - air pollution

E orts to combat air pollution in the United States have proved to be a real success story. The Environmental
Protection Agency reported in 2005 that total emissions from six major air pollutants (nitrogen dioxide, ozone,
sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and lead) had dropped by 73% between 1970 and 2016. The
worldwide situation was not as promising. While developed nations were nally getting air pollution problems
under control, developing nations were only beginning to realize the magnitude of the challenge they face. China
was perhaps the most troublesome example. In the early 21st century, 16 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities
were in China. As the nation continues to burn coal at a voracious rate to drive its burgeoning economy, air
pollution is certain to become an even more serious problem for the giant, as it will for many other growing
economies throughout the world.

 
David E. Newton
Further Reading

Elsom, Derek M. Atmospheric Pollution: A Global Problem. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1992; Kidd, J.S., and
Renee A. Kidd. Into Thin Air: The Problem of Air Pollution. New York: Facts on File, 1998; Turco, Richard P. Earth
Under Siege: From Air Pollution to Global Change. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2002.

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MLA Citation
Newton, David E. "Air Pollution." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World, ABC-CLIO, 2018,
worldgeography.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1922183. Accessed 22 May 2018.
 
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