You open your door in the morning, step outside, look up, close your eyes, and take a deep breath of fresh air. Or do you? Air pollution plagues our everyday life. We may think our air is fine because we cannot see a difference. Okay, maybe we know that while in the city there is not the freshest air available, but certainly in our own homes we are fine. Well, that does not seem to be the case either, as the causes of air pollution are more than what you might expect.

Pollution Possibilities And Causes of Air Pollution

There are many factors that contribute to the causes of air pollution and some may argue that only large corporations are to blame, but the fact is that we are all responsible for the problem and we should all be responsible for the solution. A few air pollutant culprits include:

Smoke Stacks power plants, waste incinerators, and manufacturing
Mobility All motor vehicles, aircraft, marine vessels. Commercial use and domestic use are equally responsible
Fumes Simple products like paint, hairspray, aerosol sprays, and other solvents contribute too
Burning Fireplaces, stoves, furnaces, and other burning devices
Chemicals Particles, like carbon monoxide released due to controlled burns or accidental fires
Waste Landfills or illegal dumping release methane gases
Military Nuclear weapons, germ warfare, rocketry, and other toxic gases are emitted into the air through war or general maneuvers
Digestion Levels of methane gas are released through the digestion of certain animals, like cattle
Mother Earth Volcanoes produce sulfur, chlorine, and ash. Radon is created by the radioactive decay within the crust of Earth
Dust General dust or large amounts are circulated in large land areas that have little or no vegetation

Escape To The Indoors

Outside does not seem safe with all those particles flying around, but if you go inside and close all the doors and windows then you are in your own controlled environment that is free of air pollution, right? This is a misnomer because there are types of air pollutants that are specific to indoor surroundings. Several examples may include:

Kitchen A kitchen appliance that we rely on almost everyday could be responsible for many health issues. The kitchen stove can release deadly toxins that are inhaled without knowledge. Older stoves that require fuels to burn, are not energy efficient and create several gases.
Carpet The fibers of carpet have been treated with chemicals that prevent staining, discoloration, and fraying; but those same chemicals are not safe to breath in.
Heating & Cooling An inefficient system causes fuel waste and may inject dangerous dust particles into the house.
Cleaning Toxic products that contain dangerous chemicals may seem like they get the house clean but at what cost? Inhaling those fumes is not good for the body. A vacuum cleaner without a proper filtration system is also to blame for unhealthy dust particles.

Air pollution presents itself in many forms; the causes of air pollution are diverse. Each of these has levels of toxicity that may be worse then others, however they are all dangerous. It is safe to consider that each pollutant cause will carry a variety of pollutant effects. It is time to think creatively and stop this pollution plague that is robbing us of fresh air.