You are driving through a busy city and you see plastic cups, fast food bags and all kinds of trash along the streets and sidewalks. It's so common that you may not think about the invisible pollution around you. But this invisible threat is everywhere; in almost every city and its actions affect nearly 40% of Americans. This is called air pollution. This essay will explain how air pollution harms our health, our wildlife, our flora and everything around us. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayTo put it simply, air pollution occurs when gases, dust, particles, and smoke are introduced into the atmosphere and contaminate the air; which is harmful to animals, humans and the planet. The main cause is human burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas and gasoline. Carbon dioxide is the source of most air pollution and it is warming the Earth at a high rate. Most living things release carbon dioxide when they breathe, but that is not why it is considered a pollutant. Human activities like driving cars, flying planes and operating power plants are responsible for releasing so much CO2 into the atmosphere. But it is not the only cause of air pollution and we cannot control most of them. There are 4 main sources of air pollution, including: mobile, stationary, area and natural. Mobile includes cars, buses, trains, planes and trucks. Power plants, oil refineries, industrial facilities and factories are stationary. These produce a large amount of pollution over a small area, which can cause the pollutants to spread around it. Geographic sources include: agricultural areas, towns and wood stoves. They represent only a small part of the total pollution, but when you combine all the sources, they can become a major problem. And finally, natural sources, in particular; windblown dust, forest fires and volcanoes. They play a role in air pollution, but most of these sources are obviously beyond our control. Their role can sometimes be important but they generally do not cause outgoing pollution like all other sources. These sources are present in almost every country, but in which country is it worst? China, with a population of over a billion people, has very bad air pollution. Although China is not among the 10 most polluted countries, many of its citizens live in thick smog. This is due to China's booming factories and industries, which primarily use coal to generate electricity. Due to pollutants in the air, almost everyone in China wears dust masks. Those who do without it expose themselves to serious health problems. Long-term exposure in areas of high air pollution can cause: accelerated aging of the lungs, the development of respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and, in rare cases, cancer. In fact, 4,400 people die every day in China from air pollution. Every year, it kills more than 1.5 million people. This is why China is starting to go green. They are demolishing old coal plants and opting for more environmentally friendly optionsof the environment. 47% of Americans live in areas with incredibly high levels of air contamination. Most cities with significant air pollution are in California, with Los Angeles-Long Beach topping the charts. Places with high air pollution problems usually have large populations that own more cars, which leads to more pollution in the air. But the large number of people driving their cars is not the only reason why some cities have excessive pollution levels. Geography plays a role because some cities live in what is called a bowl where their area collects pollutants. Since the Clean Air Act of 1970, the United States has reduced its air contaminants by more than 40% since 2010. Many are asking the question: how do we measure air pollution? A tool called broadcasting is used in most cases. It is used to indicate levels of nitrogen dioxide, ozone, ammonia and other inorganic materials. It works through a process called molecular diffusion. During this time, compounds move from high concentration to low concentration. They then diffuse into the tube and are absorbed at the end of the tube. Once absorbed, the low concentration remains and diffusion continues. The rate at which compounds enter the tube is called absorption rate. The faster this phenomenon occurs, the more pollutants there are in the air. This is the most commonly used tool and helps us know where pollution levels are quite high. Another piece of equipment is called an air quality meter. It is used in tight spaces to prevent mold buildup, to monitor CO2 levels and to identify gas leaks. These devices are used for indoor use, but they are very important and essential in maintaining health and safety in your home. It can detect carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, ozone and many other dangerous gases. The air quality meter can be handheld or wall mounted and you don't need a science degree to know how it works. But why should we care about air pollution? People who live in highly polluted air (47% of Americans) are at greater risk of suffering from many health problems. If a person is only exposed to short-term air pollution, they may experience irritation to the eyes, throat and nose. This will most likely be accompanied by an assortment of reactions from the body, including: wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. These side effects usually disappear after a while. Long-term exposure presents a whole list of problems. People who have lived in areas with air pollution problems have even more health problems. They are at increased risk of heart attacks, can develop cancer and have respiratory, reproductive, immune and neurological problems. In fact, in Southern California, approximately 1,314 people die each year from inhaling polluted air. Los Angeles residents, more than 3,000 people, suffer from respiratory illness, including persistent bronchitis. For this reason, cities in Southern California have attempted to combat pollution and smog. They reduce the amount of harmful emissions in the air and enforce clean fuel standards. However, despite their best efforts, Los Angeles is still covered in a thick layer of smog and many people are still getting sick ordie from the air. Air pollution will never disappear overnight, but the state of California is working to reduce levels as much as possible. The people most at risk of developing respiratory illnesses are children and the elderly. Children, on average, spend more time outdoors than most adults, so they are more exposed to pollutants in the air. Their lungs are still developing and toxins entering them for a long time can cause damage and slow their growth. Children often suffer from many respiratory illnesses and infections. Being exposed to this type of air can therefore worsen their symptoms. The best way to alleviate this problem is to not live in a high traffic area and move out of major cities when allowed to play outside. Older people are also affected by air pollution. Due to their advanced age, their immune system is no longer what it used to be. This is why a simple cold in a young person disappears after a certain time but in an older person, the symptoms are more severe. They may also suffer from undiagnosed health problems that can be made worse by air pollution. Air pollution can lead to strokes, lung disease, diabetes and asthma. This leads to more trips to the hospital, more medications to treat the side effects of toxic air, more health care providers visiting them, and can even lead to premature death. Older people also live longer than most, so their lungs can build up from breathing stale air for long periods throughout their lives. For this reason, older people do not have the lung capacity of younger people. In countries where pollution levels are high, the number of elderly people visiting is enormous. But we know that air pollution doesn't just affect humans. This harms the entire planet, including plants, animals and humans. And if they are damaged, the whole system collapses; especially plants. Forests are being cut down to make way for factories. Which wipes out the homes of thousands of animals and kills tons of plant life. Plants and animals play an important role in our daily lives and without them everything would be radically different. But air pollution harms what is home to everything and everyone, the Earth. Factories and industrial facilities often release large quantities of air pollutants. This can cause acid rain, which is when contaminants mix with moisture in the air. When acid rain falls, it can damage the plant life that many animals depend on for food. Many insects also use these plants as habitat and are therefore forced to relocate. Fish and other marine life are also devastated by the rain. This makes the water acidic, in which many fish cannot survive. And in a food chain, if the population of one species decreases, everything collapses. Air pollution doesn't just affect wildlife. This can harm pets like dogs and cats. A study showed that animals who live in homes located in highly polluted cities are more likely to die younger. They are also at higher risk of having a heart attack and developing cancer. In one study, scientists examined the brains of dogs exposed to Mexico City's heavy air pollution and compared them to those of dogs from.