Air Pollution Facts

Everyone on earth knows that air pollution is hazardous to health. The effects of air pollution can have
devastating effects on your health and the environment. Here is an interesting way to analyze how air pollution
is gradually causing so many deaths worldwide. One may even to fail to count the effects of air pollution and
the striking figures floating around this environmental issue.

What is Air Pollution?

According to Wikipedia, “Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals, particulates, or
biological materials that cause discomfort, disease, or death to humans, damage other living organisms such as
food crops, or damage the natural environment or built environment“.

Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air. It occurs when the air contains harmful amount
of gases, dust, fumes and odour.

Below are facts about Air Pollution

Fact 1: An average American breathe 2 gallons of air per minute which means around 3400 gallons of air each
day.

Fact 2: Inhaling air pollution takes away at least 1-2 years of a typical human life.

Fact 3: It has effects as small as burning eyes and itchy throat to as large as breathing problems and death.

Fact 4: Pollutants that are released into the air, as opposed to land and water pollutants, are the most harmful.

Fact 5: Rising levels of air pollution in Beijing has brought a new disease – Beijing cough.

Fact 6: Air pollution is not a recent occurrence. In 1952, the Great Smog of London killed 8000 people.
Fact 7: Deaths caused by air pollution cost the European Union €161 billion.

Fact 8: Electric vehicles produce less air pollutants. They stir up dirt but without producing gases.

Fact 9: Producing heavy crude oil increases chances of air pollution by 40% than producing light crude oil.

Fact 10: According to the Lancet journal, air pollution caused by waiting in traffic increases the chances of
death caused due to heart attack.

Fact 11: Toxic air pollution poses a greater threat to children, due to their smaller physical size and lung
capacity.

Fact 12: Air pollution and resulting deaths are increasing fastest in Asia.

Fact 13: Air pollution that causes smog affects dolphins and makes them suffer from black lung diseases.
 Characteristics of Air
In the last lesson we learned that air is all around us. Yet, we cannot see it or feel it, but we know it is
there. Below is a list of characteristics of air.

1. air is invisible
You can't see air but you will feel air when it is moving. Wind is moving
air.

These kids are walking in the wind. Look at their shirts.

Look at these other things that use the wind's energy.

Can you think of other things?

2. air is odourless
Pure air

Sometimes air can smell good. The ingredients and steam (gases) that come off
fresh baked bread or cookies makes the air smell good. Air can have a sweet
smell from flowers or perfume.
 Sometimes the air around us can smell bad. Gases
and fumes from cars and factories make air
pollution and this can make the air smell bad.

has no smell or odour.

3. living things breathe air

All living things such as humans, animals and plants need air to survive.

We breathe in a part of the air called oxygen. We

use the oxygen that we breathe in the air to feed
the blood in our bodies.

Plants use a different part of the air, a gas called carbon dioxide. We breathe in
oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants do just the opposite — plants
breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. So the oxgyen you’re breathing
now probably came from a plant. Thanks, plants!

How much air do you think you breathe in? You can measure how much air fills your lungs by blowing
through a plastic tub into a measuring cup held upside-down in a tank of water.
What non-living thing needs air to survive?
Watch the videos below to find out.

4. air takes up space

When we drink a can of juice or pop air fills up the space in the can. An empty glass is full of air, even when it
is upside down. Watch the videos below.

Look at your balloon. It is flat.

There is nothing in it.

Now hold your balloon under the faucet and put some water in it. What happens? Does the balloon start
to get bigger? It should because the water is taking up space inside the balloon. We can see the water
filling up the balloon. Now let the water out. What happens? The balloon goes flat again because it is
empty.

Now let’s try this with something invisible – air. Look at your flat balloon. It has nothing in it. Can air
fill it? Blow into the balloon. Is the balloon getting bigger? The more air you put in the balloon the
bigger it will get. Air is filling up the balloon. Now let all of the air out of your balloon. What happens?
Does it go flat again?
Bubble gum wouldn't be any fun if you didn't blow air into it to fill up and expand.

5. air has weight or mass

What do air, milkshakes, ponies, children, trucks, and broccoli have in common? They are all made of
matter. Matter is anything that takes up space or has weight.

The weight of air is called air pressure. The air pressure is the same inside and outside your body. The pressure
of air in tires can hold up the weight of a bike.