Air & and Water Pollution Paper
ENV/100

Why is the Atmosphere important?
In order for a plant to thrive and grow, its roots must be safely covered by dirt. The dirt keeps the roots moist and safe. Well, our planet Earth needs the same thing. Our planet is surrounded by the atmosphere that keeps it safe from the intense heat of the sun. If the planet didn’t have the protective atmosphere then it would burn up or can freeze. It’s when dirty gases, dirty dust particles, or even fumes are introduced into the clean atmosphere that can damage it and make it unclean that it’s called air pollution.

Forms of Air Pollution
One popular form of air pollution is Carbon Monoxide. This odorless, colorless problem is dangerous because it’s produced by many different forms. It binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells stopping the ability to release oxygen thru the body. ("Unit 11: Atmospheric Pollution // Section 3: Primary Air Pollutants", n.d.). This primary pollutant is introduced into the atmosphere due to incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as burning charcoal, wood; propane and oil are a few examples. It can also come from water heaters, generators, breweries, steel factories and so forth. (Helmenstine, Ph.D., 2013).
The Picture below is an example of Carbon Monoxide Pollution; www.ehow.com Another form of air pollution is called Ground level Ozone, also called Smog. This Secondary pollutant is produced when nitrogen oxides which come from vehicle exhaust, oil refining, bushfires, mowing lawns that are all primary pollutants are mixed with organic compounds and the mixture causes a dangerous reaction in sunlight. This Smog can affect human health and destroy buildings, bridges, and machinery by corrosion. For humans it can cause respiratory irritations.
The Picture below is an example of Smog; sagemagazine.org Pollutants and our Atmosphere
Carbon Monoxide affects the different layers of the atmosphere because it turns into carbon dioxide which is bad because that carbon dioxide slows down the greenhouse gases to rise into the atmosphere. The effects of the Ground Level Ozone is very bad and will get worse. The Stratosphere layer absorbs and filters the suns U-V rays and keeps the planet safe from radiation. The Ground Level Ozone is causing this layer of the atmosphere to thin which means the effects of the Ground Level Ozone is bad and will get worse.
The Stratosphere layer absorbs and filters the suns U-V rays, keeping the planet safe from radiation. The Ground Level Ozone is causing this layer to think so farming crops such as wheat, rice, corn, beans and so forth will be damaged. Skin cancer will increase on humans and aquatic life will be destroyed. ("Unit 11: Atmospheric Pollution // Section 3: Primary Air Pollutants", n.d.).
The Picture below is of the Stratosphere and the Ground Level Ozone; www.eco-action.org Affects of Greenhouse Gases
Our planet is surrounded by natural gases, also known as the Greenhouse Effect. These natural gases protect our planet from getting too hot or too cold. For examples, hotter temperatures will cause glaciers to melt causing the sea to rise putting risk to low-lying coastal areas. Many humans will lose their homes to flooding, crops will be destroyed. The change of temperatures will destroy plant life and affect the wildlife that depends on those plants for survival. ("Greenhouse Effect & Global Warming", n.d.).
The Picture below is an example of how Greenhouse Gases work; http://www.clean-air-kids.org.uk/globalwarming.html Forms of Water Pollution
Next, water pollution happens when dirty particles, chemicals, and bad substances are introduced into bodies of water and usually by a primary source. One example of water pollution is an oil spill. An oil spill is also a primary pollutant and is caused by dumping oil into oceans, run-offs, and routine shipping. It causes death to fish, turtles, and any other sea life that lives among the water. ("Types