Air Pollution

Summary:

Air pollution is a term specifically attributed to chemicals and particles produced by humans that often results in adverse environmental and medical effects. Often, these particles are concentrated in metropolitan and industrial centers, but may also show up in more rural/urban areas. Such examples include: Hotan (China), Delhi (India), etc.

Criteria Air Pollutants:

The six criteria air pollutants are designated by the EPA and include:

• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Lead (Pb)
• Ozone (O3)
• Particulate Matter (PM)
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
• Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

Emissions Timeline

Source: EPA (https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/air-quality-national-summary)

Emissions have decreased over the past 50 years. On the other hand, GDP and vehicle mileage has increased.

Advocacy

Getting rid of air pollution starts with you! The most important step to reducing air pollution is starting at the invididual’s level. Here are some things you can do:

• Drive less
• Use a bike or public transportation
• Plant a tree or garden
• Use less energy
• Avoid dirty fuels

On a larger scale, you can:

• Join a protest advocating for change
• Write a letter to your congressman
• Organize a community

Resources

Seeking an organization?

• https://www.cleanairfund.org/
• https://www.4cleanair.org/

Looking for something local?

• Houston: https://airalliancehouston.org/
• UK: https://www.ukcleanair.org/
• Asia: https://cleanairasia.org/