Tips to Control Air Pollution

We watch air pollution rising every day when we head to work, since our factories, cars, chimneys, and even cigarette smokers all contribute to this problem. Air pollution is the haze and smog visible in most cities. This has many different effects, like risking the health of people, damaging the environment, and even causing irreversible damage to the ozone layer. There are steps you can take to minimize the air pollution around you. All it takes is a slight change of lifestyle.

Reduce Acid Rain
Acid rain is continuously studied by scientists of the EPA, state governments, and universities. This hazardous rain results from the burning of fossil fuels that leak sulfur dioxide and sulfur oxides. Alleviating this problem can be done by collectively changing energy usage as a society and as an individual. Basically, it's about reducing the burning of fossil fuels, which come from electricity generated by burning coal and oil.

You can decrease this amount by using alternative energy. Natural gas is even considered less dangerous. Factories can use catalytic converters to reduce the nitrogen oxides.

Use Biodiesel
You can change the type of fuel you're using in your own automobile by converting your tank to run on biodiesel. Biodiesel is becoming increasingly popular. This innovation is created by burning biodegradable sources like vegetable oil and animal fat instead of fossil fuels. Using biodiesel reduces harmful emissions rising into the air.

Businesses and farms are beginning to produce biodiesel as the demands rise. City buses are beginning to be converted to biodiesel engines. You can convert your own car or make this bio-fuel by executing your own projects according to strict directions.

Green Building Techniques
Remodel your house to use renewable energy. Investing in sustainable systems will save you from using the dirty energy that is used to create electricity.

There are other green building methods now, like earth-sheltered homes, solar-energy homes, and homes that use straw bales for insulation. All these green building techniques decrease pollution and dangerous emissions, which helps lessen air pollution.

Eco-Conscious
You can do your own part to control air pollution by making small adjustments, like not running your car as long every day, or car pooling. Some people take public transportation, or smoke fewer cigarettes. You can use bio-safe cleaning products and halon-free fire extinguishers, too. It's all about being conscious of the fossil fuel energy you use every day.

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Air Pollution Control Techniques

The best control measure, of course, is prevention. However, as long as there are fossil fuel emissions from our coal-burning factories and gas-burning automobiles, there will be air pollution. The key to easing future impacts is control. The sources of air pollution are many, although most authorities identify sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulate matter as the major pollutants. Identification of sources of pollution offers opportunities for control.

Industrial Solutions
Overall, control measures are proving effective. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that air quality has improved significantly since 1990, with control programs for chemical plants, coke ovens, and incinerators, among other pollution sources, in place. The success of such programs depends upon achieving a balance between benefits and costs.

A switch to low-sulfur coal would reduce sulfur dioxide emissions. Power companies have opposed the switch, citing the high cost of implementation and cost to the consumer. However, the EPA estimates the cost to the consumer as only a 1 to 1.5 percent increase in energy costs. Another possible solution is installation of scrubbers on smokestacks. Scrubbers filter emissions with a water and limestone solution, resulting in formation of gypsum, an additive for concrete or for use in wallboard construction. This solution dramatically reduces sulfur dioxide emissions, by some estimates up to 95 percent.

Individual Activities

While tangible results can be achieved with control measures, the American lifestyle counteracts a reduction in air pollution. Since 1970, automobile travel has increased 177 percent. The population has grown over 46 percent, accompanied by an increase in energy consumption. Driving a car is the greatest source of pollution from a single individual. Hydrocarbon emissions result in ground-level ozone, which has been linked to respiratory problems in people and wildlife. Driving less and car pooling are two ways an individual can reduce the effects.

Other seemingly innocuous human activities also increase air pollution levels. The EPA estimates that smoke from wood-burning stoves and fireplaces contributes up to 80 percent of the particulate emissions during the winter season. Using an EPA-certified control device and cutting back on wood fires are two ways to reduce emissions.

Deforestation
Deforestation also impacts air quality in two major ways. As a result of the reduction in plant biomass, the total volume of oxygen released by plants during photosynthesis is reduced. Carbon dioxide that is normally cycled by plants builds up in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is considered a greenhouse gas and a contributor to global warming.

Conclusion
Air pollution affects all life on Earth, from reducing a plant's ability to produce food to acidifying lakes and killing fish, to causing human disease and death. The complexity of air pollution with its many causes requires a multi-faceted approach that involves not only industry control but conservation practices by citizens as well.

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