The air around you is called ambient air. This is the air you breathe, and it is LITTERED with pollutants. You just can’t generally see it.
Particulate matter (also known as particle pollution) is not generally visible to the human eye. It is comprised of things like smoke, dust, soot, dirt, etc., and can be in solid or liquid form. Toxic air pollutants (also known as hazardous air pollutants or “HAPs”), greenhouse gas pollutants (CO2 and methane, for example), and pollutants that destroy the ozone layer (chlorofluorocarbons or “CFCs”) are all types of pollutants in our air. Every breath you take has pollutants in it, and the average person takes in around 22,000 breaths a day. You are breathing in pollutants 22,000 times. Every. Day. This should be cause for concern.
There are many different sources that contribute to air pollution. Some natural sources include dust, wildfires, lightening, volcanoes, vegetation, and microbes. Other non-natural sources (i.e. man-made) include mobile sources (cars, planes, buses, semi, motorcycles, etc.), power plants, auto plants, refineries, chemical plants, grain elevators, steel mills, cement plants, manufacturing, mining, gas stations, cleaning products, farms, pesticides, etc. – the list goes on and on… and on. The biggest polluters include transportation, stationary fuel combustion, and industries.
The below chart was pulled from the EPA’s website. Link here.
The presence of these pollutants in the air can lead to many health problems and climate damage. You see it every day – usually without knowing. Have you noticed that it has been especially hot this summer? Did you develop asthma later in life? Think about it. Climate change is in full bloom, and these air pollutants are taking their toll on you AND the environment.
Some health effects include: asthma, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, reproductive issues, and a decrease in life expectancy.
Environmental effects include: a rise in sea levels, temperatures, and weather extremes.
The EPA regulates the amount of pollution expelled into the air under the Clean Air Act via what are called the National Ambient Air Quality Standards a.k.a. NAAQS, but it doesn’t cover every air pollutant. For example, indoor air pollution, pesticides, agricultural emissions (with some exceptions) and odors are not regulated by the EPA. The NAAQS cover what are called “criteria pollutants” and include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, ozone, lead, and nitrogen dioxide.
When the EPA is deciding what the allowed levels should be, there are opportunities for public comment. If you have concerns, which you should, this is the point where you reach out. Talk to your local government. Send in letters. Call your Governor’s office. States as a whole have the opportunity to comment as well as private citizens. Make your feelings known. The more concerned citizens that come forward – the more the government will be willing to listen.
Pay attention to your local news. Is a corporation trying to build a new plant in your area? Look into it. If it is going to contribute negatively to the air you breathe, you can try to fight it, but it’s much easier to do BEFORE the plant is built than it is after.
These issues are becoming too big to ignore, and they effect us all. We’re running out of time to act before the consequences are too great to recover from. The Earth is what we all have in common – we all breathe – so let’s take care it. Clean air should be a fundamental human right.