Main air pollutants, learn about the poisons in the atmosphere

The atmospheric pollution and air pollution is the presence of harmful materials or types of energy that pose risks or potential damage to both living beings and nature. In addition to being harmful to humans, the main air pollutants also affect the assets we need in our lives, detract from the appearance of our cities, and worsen visibility. Furthermore, they also generate bad odors.

A large part of this problem is due to industrialization. While today cities like London seem to have a clean atmosphere, in the 18th century, manufacturing processes turned the English capital into a hardly breathable place with a darkened sky. Today, this also occurs in other places on the planet where the air pollutants are numerous due to not having optimal development conditions. This is particularly common in Asian countries like China.

As a sample, a button. In New Delhi, the capital of India, the contaminated air has devastated the atmosphere to the point that visibility is nil, foul odors are present, and worse, the health risk is enormous. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the pollution is 30 times greater than the limit that the organization considers acceptable. Breathing its air for just one day is equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes.

In Spain, we are far from those risk levels, but the same WHO warns that in some cities the safe limit has been exceeded. Therefore, it is important to know about the main air pollutants and to be able to protect oneself against the risks that they imply.

What are the main air pollutants?

In Spain, there are legal limits to alert the population in case of an unexpected increase in atmospheric pollution. According to the same WHO, the alert level starts at 120 micrograms per cubic meter of average over eight hours. In many Spanish autonomous communities, the regulations state that one must notify when exceeding 180 micrograms per cubic meter. While in some specific cases in recent years, pollution levels rose up to 240. These are situations to be aware of.

For all these reasons, it is important to know the main air pollutants produced by human activity. And also their risks and how to protect oneself against increased pollution.

Sulfur oxides (SOx)

In the family of sulfur oxides, the sulfur dioxide stands out. It is a chemical compound that can be produced both by volcanoes and as a residue in factories. It arises due to combustion that occurs from coal and oil. In extreme cases of alerts regarding leaks in energy production plants, or in explosions within factories, it could become acid rain when mixed with chemical catalysts, giving rise to sulfuric acid.

Sulfur oxides, which are very present due to the use of coal and oil, are among the major concerns when considering the environmental impact of these energy-producing materials. In countries like China, for instance, coal is still widely used, even for heating homes in winter.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx)

High-temperature combustion can emit nitrogen oxides. These are brownish with red hues and one of the main toxic gases recognizable by their bad smell. They are also one of the most important and main air pollutants.

Carbon monoxide and dioxide

The carbon monoxide poisoning is a persistent problem in our country, especially in homes where combustion stoves are used. The greatest risk of this gas is that it has no color, no odor, and is not even irritating. It goes completely unnoticed. But it is a very dangerous poison. It is important to consider it in homes with heating systems that may emit this gas.

The carbon dioxide, on the other hand, is one of the most responsible pollutants for the greenhouse effect, and partly responsible for outdoor air pollution.

Methane gas (CH4)

Methane gas is also known as swamp gas since it is often produced in nature where oxygen is lacking. Methane is colorless and also odorless. It is highly flammable and explosive. And while it is also responsible for the greenhouse effect like other main air pollutants, in this case, it is primarily found in seabed.

Hydrocarbons

They are volatile organic compounds and also greenhouse gases. The most well-known hydrocarbon is natural gas.