Air Pollution

Air pollution to begin with the air pollution issue first start understanding a little about the air itself. The air pollution will be better understood if we start this topic as well.

Air is the common name given to the atmosphere, gaseous mass of 5.7 x 10 ton. querodea to earth and calls of several layers: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere ytermosfera, which correspond to different characteristics ypresión temperature variations with height, as shown in Fig. The air we breathe corresponds to the troposphere, and this is also dirtied area, is the one most exposed to pollution every day, but it tends to cleanse itself as being the mass of warm air down, and fríaarriba, this will tend to fall and the other to rise, creating vertical movement of regeneration. If there is a "temperature inversion?, There would be regenerative cycle if AThis adding an absence of horizontal movement (wind), then the contaminants would accumulate more and more and more, with a consequent increase in its action harmful. This is the phenomenon that occurs in the city of Los? Angeles and London, creating the dreaded "Smog? .

But what are the sources of air pollution?

What are they?

How damaging to health?

We consider here two types of pollutants: solids, liquids

and those so dangerous gases such as SO, CO, NO.

Solid contaminants: Produced by smoke from fireplaces carrying combustion gases different from those produced in restaurants and bakeries to those produced in industrial processes more or less complicated such as brick, small foundries, large metallurgical, or metallurgical complexes, cement industries, oil and many other industries where we have to burn fuel for energy or as part of the industrial process. In addition, there are other really dangerous, like any non-metal industry, whose main operation is the grinding which occurs very injurious dusts such as asbestos and silica.

The main material particles acting as air pollutants

are: carbon (soot), powders of metallic minerals (metals, oxides, NO3-and SO4 = F-), non-metallic mineral dust (mainly silica) remains of insects (wings), pollen, organic fractions (plastics and powders the terrible carcinogen, benzo-alpha-pyrene).

These particles have a great variety in size, shape and chemical composition, ranging from tiny spherical metal particles (metal fumes) to porous conglomerates (soot) particles found irregular, flat, pointed, cylindrical fiber. Size is the most significant property of this type of contamination, as determined by the dynamic behavior of the particle in the air as well as their ability to enter the body, usually the lungs, and consequent injury. Some authors indicate size silica as critical to the health 10 or, in any way the rand for particulate matter is very dangerous to health when it comes to toxic particles. It has been established that particulate matter acts in four ways on the living ... CONTENTS USEFUL POLLUTION AIR POLLUTION