Pollution

5 Pages 1322 Words

Air Pollution
The plant stretched it’s leaves out toward the sun in hopes of growing strong. Yet it was only to find out that it would not survive because there was no sun. Instead a thick layer of smog blanketed the sky.
Humanity has not yet reached this point, but if we continue on this path then this dismal future will become a reality. One of the greatest dangers effecting us today is pollution. Pollution is a problem created by human carelessness and disregard for the planet. One of the most detrimental types of pollution is air pollution.
Much of the world's air has been poisoned by chemical wastes. Life in some places has ceased because the air is not fit to breath. People all around the world are exposed and are at risk to many diseases, such as lung cancer. Plants and animals also feel this effect, as they have become endangered or even extinct. Yet we are not at a total loss. As a result of our actions, governments have passed laws to limit or reverse the threat of environmental pollution.
In researching air pollution we discovered that the single major cause of air pollution is the internal-combustion engine of automobiles. This is because gasoline never completely burns in the engine of a car. Once it is released into the air, the un combusted products (soot, ash, and other solids), unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and lead then undergo a series of chemical reactions in the presence of sunlight. The result from these reactions is a smelly haze like substance called smog. Smog may appear brownish in color when it contains high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, or it may look blue-gray when it contains large amounts of ozone. In either case, prolonged exposure will damage your lung tissue.
Cars aren’t the only contributor to our air’s pollution. Factories also require huge amounts of fuel, coal and oil for our industries. When these fuels...