Question

What is air pollution? Write the steps to reduce air pollution.

Answer 1

Air pollution

• Air is essential for the survival of life on the earth, but it should be free from impurities. The condition of the air around us is known as air quality.
• Good air quality refers to clean and non-polluted air, whereas poor air quality refers to the presence of harmful substances in the air.
• Any undesirable change in the physical, chemical, or biological character of air leads to air pollution.
• Any substance which pollutes the air is called an air pollutant.
• Air pollution is defined as the addition of undesirable substances in the atmosphere either due to natural phenomena or human activities.

Steps to reduce air pollution

• Making the internal combustion engine in automobiles more efficient for the complete and efficient burning of fuel.
• Installing catalytic converter in automobiles that converts unburnt hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide gas into harmless water vapour and carbon dioxide.
• Using unleaded fuel for running cars and scooters.
• Replacing petrol and diesel with compressed natural gas (CNG), and wood and coal with charcoal and coke, respectively.
• Installing tall chimneys with filters in coal-fixed power plants that scrub waste gases before they are discharged into the atmosphere.
• Reducing the use of CFCs and switching on to more Eco-friendly alternatives.
• Locating industries away from residential areas.
• Growing more trees that help in balancing the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere.
• Planting more and more trees as they improve the quality of air by reducing the concentration of air pollutants.
• Using renewable sources of energy like solar energy, hydro energy, and wind energy instead of conventional fossil fuels.
• Reusing paper bags as they can be recycled easily, and banning the use of plastic bags as they take years to decompose and also harm the environment.