Air Pollution Essay For Kids from Class 3 to 6
This article is for kids from class 3 to 6 on Air Pollution Essay and how they can control it from happening.
In this article, we will give one example of an air pollution essay to give you an idea of how you should formulate the essay on the topic of air pollution. This essay is written keeping in mind the understanding level of kids from age 6 to 13. So, if you are looking for the best air pollution essay for kids, then you can go ahead and take it as an example to help yourself in the process of writing an essay.
Table of Contents
Air pollution essay for kids
Introduction to Air Pollution Essay
Air is among the vital and important environmental components that all living organisms need for their survival. But it is good to take only fresh and healthy air. There should be a proper balance of all the constituents in the air as contaminated air can be very harmful to health.
Air pollution is one of the most severe problems that maximum parts of the world are dealing with. Day by day the graph of air pollution is increasing. The ever-increasing industrialization, advancement, vehicles, and population are some of the primary reasons behind this serious air pollution problem in the world.
Half of the cities of the world have bad air quality. Big cities with maximum industries and populations are more affected by air pollution. According to a survey conducted by WHO (World Health Organization), cities like Kanpur, Gaya, Delhi in India, Bamenda (Cameroon), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), etc., are in the top list of most air-polluted cities in the world.
India has the maximum number of cities with bad air quality, and day by day, the number is increasing. The bad quality of air is dangerous to human health and for all other living beings. It is a serious matter of concern as it can be hazardous to this planet.
Firstly, let’s understand what exactly air pollution is, and further, we will move to the causes and effects. Check this video for learning about facts and figures.
What is Air Pollution?
When harmful chemicals, gases, and other substances are discharged into the air from various sources, they cause air pollution. When the level of pollutants increases in the air, it results in the poor quality of air.
Air pollution can be defined as the imbalance in the quality of air by the introduction of some harmful materials, toxic gases, particulates, molecules, and other pollutants from various sources.
Air pollution can be explained simply as the “contamination of air by some harmful substances.”
Causes of Air Pollution
Air pollution is caused when the number of harmful substances and particulates increases in the air. Air pollution can be caused by both natural reasons and due to human activities. Some of them are as follows-
- Forest Fires- The burning of the forest is sometimes a natural phenomenon and sometimes a human activity, but both reasons are enough to pollute the air.
- Dust storms/Wind- The second natural reason for air pollution is the big dust storms that carry various pollutants and cause huge destruction.
- Volcanic eruption- The toxic gases released from a volcanic eruption gets mixed with the air and have detrimental effects on the health of all living beings.
- The burning of Fossil fuels- Burning of fossil fuels like coal, petrol leads to the emission of very toxic carbon monoxide gas, which is very harmful to the environment.
- Exhaust from automobiles and vehicles- Vehicles are one of the major sources of air pollution in this world. The emission of harmful gases by the burning of fuels in the vehicle leads to the release of gases like carbon monoxide into the air.
- Exhaust from Industries- The waste from industries and factories in the form of poisonous gases have a great contribution in creating a high level of air pollution.
- Deforestation- Trees are a major source of fresh air as they help in the purification of air. Still, the cutting of trees and deforestation leads to the increment of harmful gases and other particulates in the air and causes air pollution.
- Household and commercial appliances- Cooling appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators are responsible for the emission of Chlorofloro Carbons (CFCs) into the atmosphere. CFCs are the main behind the depletion of the Ozone.
- Construction activities – The world is developing every day, and various construction projects are an integral part of this development. These constructional activities release multiple pollutants in the air that causes air pollution.
- Smoking – It may sound a little awkward, but yes smoking causes air pollution. Even though you are a non-smoker, but you may be at risk. According to the University of Minnesota, up to 90% of the population is exposed to second-hand smoke.
Apart from these, mining, chemical testing, agricultural waste, fertilizers, particulate pollutants, smog, decomposition of natural elements, etc., are other reasons behind air pollution.
Important Air Pollutants
Air pollutants can be divided into two types-
- Primary air pollutants and
- Secondary air pollutants
Carbon dioxide (CO2), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Hydrocarbons (HC), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulates are known as primary pollutants.
Ultraviolet rays, Lead, and the pollutants formed by the reaction between the primary air pollutants or some component of air are known as secondary pollutants. These secondary air pollutants are a major reason behind acid rains and have an adverse effect on crops, animals, vegetation, soil, etc.
Harmful Effects of Air Pollution
Air pollution is very dangerous for human health and other living beings that exist on the earth. Apart from living beings, air pollution also has adverse effects on materials, infrastructure, crops, and other things.
Air pollution has both short-term and long-term effects. Some of the harmful effects of air pollution are-
- Human Health- Air pollution has various short-term and long-term effects on human health. The short-term effects include a headache, allergies, irritation in the eyes, nose, and throats, whereas long-term effects include chronic diseases like respiratory disorders, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, lung and bronchitis disorders, etc. Air pollution also reduces visibility resulting in weak eyesight.
- Acid rain- When the harmful particulates and gases come down in the form of rain, it is called acid rain. The increasing air pollution has also increased the rate of acid rain. It is a great threat to crops, soil, forests, water bodies like lakes, ponds, etc.
- Depletion of the Ozone layer- The ozone layer is a protective layer that protects the atmosphere from the harmful ultraviolet radiation of the sun. The ever-increasing air pollution leads to the depletion of the ozone.
- Green House Effect- The excessive number of toxic gases like methane, CFC, and various oxides in the atmosphere leads to problems like greenhouse effects, global warming, and other environmental problems.
- Climate change – It is the biggest problem that our earth is suffering these days. Air pollution is responsible for the change in the climate.
- Global Warming – Global warming refers to the increase in the temperature of the air and oceans around the world. It can be termed as a side-effect of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse gases (especially carbon dioxide) traps heat in the atmosphere. When the amount of greenhouse gases increases in the air, it traps more heat which causes an increase in world temperature.
- Smog effect – When a kind of dark smog covers the entire city or open fields, it is nothing but the smog effect. It happens due to the heavy load of pollutants in the air. For example – Delhi city in India. This city has quite often been observed with smog effects when the pollutant (sulfurous smog or photochemical smog) increases in the air.
- A big threat for animal species – Air pollution has become a big threat to animal species. Due to climate change, many animal species have to face various problems. Their behavioral changes, loss of habitat, reproduction imbalance, etc., have become a challenge for the survival of many species. The species that are not able to manage the changes are at a big risk of extinction.
This shows that air pollution has an equal effect on man, animals, materials, and the environment.
How to Prevent and Control Air Pollution?
There are several ways to prevent air pollution-
- Reduce Smoking- Smoking is one of the major reasons for indoor air pollution. Reduction in the rate of smoking can reduce air pollution. Smoking is injurious to the health of humans and also to the health of this planet.
- Plant more trees- Planting more trees is one of the best ways to prevent and control air pollution. Support afforestation to restore earth’s health.
- Reduce the use of vehicles and try to practice carpooling, public transports, car sharing, etc for transportation.
- Less use of air conditioners as they contain CFCs.
- Use Eco-friendly products at home like sprays, paints, glues, air fresheners, perfumes, etc.
- Factories and Industries should take various measures such as changing the manufacturing process.
- Focus more on recycling and reusing products. Instead of burning newspapers, clothes and other household waste recycle them.
- Practice sustainable development.
- Conserve energy as when a fuel is burnt to produce the energy it emits harmful substances that contaminate the air.
- Follow all the rules to prevent and control air pollution. Save natural resources as much as you can.
- Educate people and spread awareness.
- Practice mulching or can compost leaves and yard waste to avoid landfill debris.
- Avoid burning leaves or other trash.
- Make sure you grow your own food and prefer to consume seasonal products.
- Try to reduce your paper usage to minimize the cutting of trees.
If you want to add more information in the air pollution essay for kids then you can also read more about the earth day tips to save earth from dying. Read >>> Earth Day Tips To Save Earth.
A single step towards the prevention of air pollution by an individual is enough to bring a change. If we want to improve the quality of the air, we need to start at our houses.
This is an alarming situation and every human being needs to take action to stop and prevent this world from air pollution. Take the idea from the above essay on the topic of air pollution.
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