Air Pollution Research Paper

One of the most serious types of pollution is air pollution. Many human activities create air pollution but most come from combustion activities. Per Snyder (1998), air pollutants can be grouped into primary and secondary air pollutants. Primary air pollutants are direct results of specific human activity. Secondary air pollutants meanwhile are results of further reaction of primary air pollutants.

Following is brief discussion of some examples of air pollutants. Can you identify which among them are primary and secondary air pollutants?

Sulfur Oxides

An example of air pollutants are the oxides of sulfur, such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulfur trioxide (SO3). SO2 is a toxic gas with a pungent, irritating, and rotten smell. It results

Sea birds are harmed by the physical effects of oil in their plumage. With oil, the plumage loses its water-repellent property, buoyancy, and thermal insulation capability, and become water-logged, making the bird vulnerable to sinking and drowning.

Soil pollution is one of the major environmental problems today. It is the result of the presence of contaminants, including toxic compounds, radioactive materials and other foreign and harmful chemicals, in the soil. As a result, the soil loses its structure and chemical and biological properties.

Similar in water bodies, the common soil pollutants are the hydrocarbons from petroleum and oil spills and heavy metals from industries. But equally potent soil contaminants moreover are the chemicals found in pesticides.

It is said that pesticide production covers around 50,000 chemical preparations designed to eliminate pests, such as insects, fungi, rodents, and weeds, which destroy crops and transmit diseases to humans. The usefulness of pesticides however is just one side of the coin. They also cause harm to humans and other non-pest organisms.

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

One of the most extremely toxic pesticides, parathion is notorious for the number and severity of human poisonings it causes each year.

In addition to its acute toxicity, there is evidence that parathion is a chronic neurotoxin, carcinogen, mutagen, reproductive toxin, immunotoxin, and can cause birth defects.

Malathion

Malathion is another organophosphate pesticide that is used to control crop-infesting insects such as thaphids, mites, flies, and bugs. While it is considered one of the less acutely toxic synthetic pesticides, acute exposure to malathion may lead to numbness, headache, dizziness, tremor, nausea, abdominal cramps, blurred vision, difficulty breathing or respiratory depression, and slow heartbeat. Very high doses may result in unconsciousness, incontinence, and convulsions or fatality.

Recent studies suggest that malathion affect animal immune system, adrenal glands, liver and blood. It has also been associated with birth defects in domestic and laboratory animals.

Diazinon

Diazinon is another organophosphate that is used to fight agriculture and structural pests. Diazinon is said to be a commonly used household pesticide for being very effective in controlling as mites, ants, flies, and