The Effects of Air and Water Pollution on the Environment

The Effects of Air and Water Pollution on the Environment

Teresa Pankey

ENV/100

May 14, 2012

Brandy Schroeder

The Effects of Air and Water Pollution on the Environment

With the release of 3 million tons of toxic chemicals onto the land, into the water, and into the air each year, humanity loses more than 15 million acres of land. | Greenstudentu.com", May 11, 2012)

Air Pollution

There are numerous types of air pollution the can have serious implications to our health and well-being. One primary air pollutant is sulfur dioxide. This gas is made when sulfur is subjected to oxygen at extreme temperatures. This occurs during fossil fuel incineration at power plants, oil refining, or metal smelting. It also occurs from locomotives, large ships, and non-road equipment that burn sulfur. In nature it occurs from volcanic eruptions. It is a colorless gas that has a very overpowering odor. When under pressure it is liquid and will dissolve easily in water.

When sulfur dioxide is released into the environment it goes airborne and can be transformed into sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, and sulfates. It liquefies in water and can form sulfurous acid and can move into the soil. Sulfur dioxide generates secondary releases of aerosols as a consequence of the chemical reaction in the air, which falls to Earth in the form of acid rain, snow or can structure sulfate aerosol particles in the air.

Aerosols influence the atmosphere in three key ways. They alter albedo, which changes the quantity of solar power that reaches the earth’s exterior and the quantity that is soaked up at many levels within the atmosphere. They occupy a big role in the construction of clouds. They help to boost or subdue various types of chemical responses in the atmosphere.

Aerosols play an enormous role in their ability to impact the climate. Some reactions generate new substances and can reduce the quantities of other substances in the atmosphere. They can develop in size and alter their...