Introduction

“As soon as I had escaped the heavy air of Rome and the stench of its smoky chimneys, which when stirred poured forth whatever pestilent vapours and soot they held enclosed, I felt a change in my disposition.”

                                    

  -Roman philosopher Seneca, AD 61 

           Pollution is now a common place term, that our ears are attuned to. We hear about the various forms of pollution and read about it through the mass media. Air pollution is one such form that refers to the contamination of the air, irrespective of indoors or outside. A physical, biological or chemical alteration to the air in the atmosphere can be termed as pollution. It occurs when any harmful gases, dust, smoke enters into the atmosphere and makes it difficult for plants, animals and humans to survive as the air becomes dirty.

            Air pollution can further be classified into two sections- Visible air pollution and invisible air pollution. Another way of looking at Air pollution could be any substance that holds the potential to hinder the atmosphere or the well being of the living beings surviving in it. The sustainment of all things living is due to a combination of gases that collectively form the atmosphere; the imbalance caused by the increase or decrease of the percentage of these gases can be harmful for survival.

       The Ozone layer considered crucial for the existence of the ecosystems on the planet is depleting due to increased pollution. Global Warming, a direct result of the increased imbalance of gases in the atmosphere has come to be known as the biggest threat and challenge that the contemporary world has to overcome in a bid for survival.

        In order to understand the causes of Air pollution, several divisions can be made. Primarily air pollutants can be caused by primary sources or secondary sources. The pollutants that are a direct result of the process can be called primary pollutants. A classic example of a primary pollutant would be the sulfur-dioxide emitted from factories. Secondary pollutants are the ones that are caused by the inter mingling and reactions of primary pollutants. Smog created by the interactions of several primary pollutants is known to be as secondary pollutant.

Causes for indoors air pollution:

• Carpets
• Broken compact fluorescent lights.
• New electronics and other plastic products
• VOCs (Acetone, Sprays ..etc)
• Paints
• SMOKING

Causes for outdoors air pollution

• Combustion of fossil fuels
• Domestic heating Power generation Motor vehicles

• Industrial processes
• Agricultural processes
• Waste incineration
• Natural processes
• Thunderstorms,Volcanoes
• SMOKING

-Salma Saad Srour & Amira Badr