What can I do to help reduce air pollution?

 

Air pollution which is the introduction of foreign and harmful substances and materials to the air, is a global phenomenon that has been a thorn in the flesh of living things for too long. It has adverse effect on both living and non-living things.

·       Air pollution contributes to global warming.

·       It causes a wide variety of diseases which eventually leads to death when not controlled.

·       It causes acidification which destroys plant leaves and makes soil unfit when the acid rain infiltrates the soil.

·       It causes eutrophication.

It is very worth saying that air pollution comes in two forms which are; Indoor Air Pollution and Outdoor Air Pollution. Since the theme for the month is “What can I do to help reduce air pollution” I will put forward some measures to help reduce Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution.

Indoor Air Pollution

It is when pollutants (substances that pollute air) from things such as gases and particles contaminate the air indoors. Some examples of this type of air pollution includes;

·       Carbon monoxide produced from electronic appliances.

·       Heaters that burn natural gas, oil, wood, propane, or kerosene.

·       Environment tobacco smoke.

·       Radon (a radioactive gas) that is emitted from natural breakdown of uranium in rock and soil which can seep into homes through cracks in foundation, floors, walls and can be found in water.

·       The use of pesticides at homes.

·       The use solvents such as household cleaners and glues at homes.

Some of the ways we can help reduce indoor air pollution includes;

ü The first thing would be that we should be conscious of the effects of indoor air pollution and educate others on the need to prevent it through the following means.

ü Avoid smoking.

ü Use craft supplies in well-ventilated areas.

ü We must ensure that the gas stove is well-ventilated.

ü Keep trash covered to avoid attracting pests hence to avoid the use of pesticides.

ü Remove shoes at the door.

ü Test your home for radon.

ü Have your car emissions checked regularly.

ü Minimize air freshener use.

ü Minimize or if possible avoid the use of carpet.

ü Use a microfiber duster cloth for dusting.

ü Store chemicals safely and in air-tight places.

ü Developing countries should enact a law that would help reduce the burning of wood and other air polluting materials as a source of fire for cooking.

Outdoor Air Pollution

This type of air pollution occurs outside the home and it more riskier since it effects could be felt in the home as well. If you have ever been in the streets and have seen smoke from the exhaust pipes on vehicles on the streets, then probably you have actually seen outdoor air pollution. Some examples of outdoor air pollution includes;

·       Smoke from vehicles

·       Volcanic eruptions.

·       Smoke and dangerous chemicals emitted from industries whether small or large.

·       Wildfires.

·       Wind currents.

·       Dust storm.

·       Odour from gutters and heap of refuse.

·       Odour from landfill sites.

Some of the ways to help reduce outdoor air pollution include;

ü The first thing would be that we should be conscious of the effects of outdoor air pollution and educate others on the need to prevent it through the following means.

ü Conserve energy everywhere you find yourself.

ü Use a bike or walk whenever possible.

ü Keep your vehicle’s engine properly tuned.

ü Avoid burning leaves, trash, and other materials.

ü Avoid exporting damaged vehicles to deprived countries.

ü Avoid walking in areas where pollution levels are high.

ü Regulations must be set for industries to lessen the amount of pollutants they emit into the atmosphere.

ü We must adapt the use of renewable energy sources such as solar instead of coal of petrol in the engineering of machinery and vehicles.

Education is always the key, so if we can share and help educate our fellow brothers and sisters on the impact air pollution is having on global warming, our health and the environment, I believe they would be willing to change their ways of doing some things to help reduce air pollution. We could organize a session to train volunteers who are environmental conscious to go out into their communities to talk with their people about this air pollution as well. I have started mine through forums I am organizing, each and every one of us could do the same and the end result would be a world free of pollution.