The average adult breathes over 3,000 gallons of air every day. Children breathe even more air per pound of body weight and are more susceptible to air pollution.
Air pollution threatens the health of human beings and other living things on our planet.
While often invisible, pollutants in the air create smog and acid rain, cause cancer or other serious health effects, diminish the protective ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, and contribute to the potential for world climate change. Listed below are issues affecting air quality, our health, and the environment. To find out more about the issues, visit the links provided. It is caused by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides released by power plants, vehicles, and other sources. Acid rain harms plants, animals, and fish, and erodes bulding surfaces and national monuments.