“Pollution and smog”

Pollution is silently affecting us and our planet. Pollution will eventually cause irreversible damage        to our environment. Create Awareness about pollution, control pollution and save Mother Nature

Pollution:

Pollution is addition of contaminants to our Mother Nature. These contaminants include harmful gases such as greenhouse gases, volatile organic compounds, CFCS, NO_X, SO_X, dioxins, furans .Other contaminants include heavy metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic etc. and DDT, Polythene, asbestos,  radioactive radiations. There are different types of pollution i.e. Air Pollution, Water Pollution, Soil pollution and Noise pollution.

Air pollution is introduction of harmful substances to atmosphere. One of the hazardous effects of air pollution is smog. The word smog is derived from two words smoke and fog. It is grayish or blackish haze in atmosphere due to pollutants like sulfur and nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compound. Smog is formed when air pollution exceeds to intense level.

Types of smog:

 There are two types of smog

·         Photochemical smog

·         Sulfurous smog

1.    Photochemical smog: 

           Photochemical smog is type of intense air pollution. Photochemical smog is formed when nitrogen oxide (NO), Volatile organic compounds react with UV-visible radiation from the sun to form secondary pollutants i.e. ozone (O₃), peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), aldehyde. All these secondary air pollutants are photochemical smog which produce brown or grey haze.

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Effects of photochemical smog:

This is most hazardous air pollution and causes various health problems. Some of which are given below:

·         Respiratory disease

·         Eye irritation

·         Cancer

·         Neurological problem

 

2.    Sulphurous smog:

            Sulphurous smog which is also known as London smog is type of air pollution caused by high concentration of SO₂    particulate matter in air

Effects of sulphurous smog:

·         Respiratory problems such coughing , wheezing

·         Eye irritation

·         Heart diseases

  How to control smog:

1.      Use renewable energy resources.

2.      Use public transport.                                                  

3.      Plant more and more trees 

4.      Don’t burn trash which releases harmful pollutants in air.

5.      Adopt 3R’s strategy i.e. Reduce, reuse, recycle.