What is air pollution?

Any unwanted or harmful chemical, gas, or fume released into the air is called air pollution.

Air pollution hurts people, plants, and animals. It makes it difficult to breathe and can cause many serious illnesses.

Causes of air pollution

Air pollution has natural

causes, like volcanoes

and dust storms

but it is most largely caused by humans.

Sources of Air Pollution

Air Pollution comes from 3 main sources.

The first are mobile sources. That means from things that move, like cars, planes, trains, and buses.

The second sources of air pollution are called

stationary. These are buildings, like factories, oil refineries, and power plants.

The third main sources

of air pollution are called

area sources. An area

source is a location, like

farmland and cities.

Area sources can also be smaller locations, like our houses, gas stations, and grills.

Air Quality

The 3 main sources of man made pollution plus natural pollution come together to effect our air quality.

When air quality is bad, it is dangerous to be outside because we may begin coughing, or be unable to breathe.

Too much bad air quality is also a sign that we are hurting the Earth with pollution. Pollution collects high up in the atmosphere and disrupts the good and helpful gases that surround our planet and keep us safe from harmful rays.