It was rightly said by someone that
if you can’t give clean air to breathe to your kids, the fortunes and fortunes
for them would be insufficient to make them happier and healthier. We in our
whole life put our every effort to raise our standard of living and save a lot
to leave for our kids but forget the bitter reality of leaving behind a more polluted world for our coming generation to keep ailing in it.
The atmospheric pollution is the main
hurdle to let us breathe clean air because it does not leave a modicum of air
free from pollutants. When various gases harmful for the consumption of human
and other living beings exceed in quantity in ambient air it is called the
atmospheric pollution. We can avoid several types of pollution by adopting different
precautionary measures but we can’t keep ourselves safe from the polluted air
because our very survival is almost impossible without the air – clean or
polluted – we have to breathe.
Types of air pollutants
There are two types of air pollutants
which contaminate the air. One is primary
air pollutants comprising of sulphur dioxide (SOx), nitrogen oxide (NOx),
carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) which are generated as a result
of any kind of combustion and mostly being emitted by vehicles and industries.
Apart from them volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter, toxic
metals particles, chlorofluorocarbons, ammonia and odour if found in the air
more than the permissible limit will be quite harmful for both living beings
and environment. All of these elements are called primary pollutants.
The secondary air pollutants are particulate matter formed from gaseous
primary pollutants and compounds in photochemical smog, ground level ozone (O3)
formed from NOx and VOCs, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) - generated from NOx and
VOCs and various minor pollutants mostly created from indoor pollution during
the process of burning of fireplace and smoke emission during the cooking.
Causes of atmospheric pollution
Most of the atmospheric pollution is
the result of the vehicular and industrial emissions if released in excess of
prescribed limits as set under environmental quality standards. Every country
has its own set of air quality standards but as we know the ambient air is not
the property of any country nor has it any specific culture. Its immune system
is also uniform across the world. Therefore, most of the air quality standards
of every country of the world are same. Unfortunately many countries especially
the poor ones have yet to develop their own air quality standards and still
following those set by global organisations like World Health Organisation.
Effects of atmospheric pollution
When we relate the prevailing
atmospheric pollution with our coming generations especially with our own kids
our goose bumps raise up unintentionally. The harms of this menace which we
keep on listening and watching on media are enough to tell how catastrophic it
would further become if we don’t take action to control it immediately.
This is among few of those types of
pollution which can easily migrate from one place to another. Air contaminants easily
move with the wind to miles and miles because of their lighter weight and can
become danger for those who actually are not responsible of their creation.
Therefore, all the countries have to not only adopt measures at national level
but also think globally to mitigate the contaminated air emissions to keep the
air quality up to a breathable level.
How to control atmospheric pollution?
At least each country of the world
has to take following actions to curb this menace from further expansion:
- Legislate to control air pollution, implement the green laws strictly and punish the air polluters without any discrimination
- During the whole process of air quality control, take on board all stakeholders especially industrialists and vehicles owners to develop in them a sense of ownership for the ambient air.
- “Air around us is our personal property” should be made a global slogan and may be publicised massively.
- Incentives must be offered in shape of easy financing and tax exemptions to those industries which keep emissions within the permissible limits.
- Above all enhance in our kids importance of air quality for our health so that when they become vehicle owners and industrialists in future government don’t have to apply laws over them as they will already be taking care of our air environment.
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