It can cause burning eyes and nose and an itchy, irritated throat, as well as trouble in breathing. Some chemicals found in polluted air cause cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage and long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages. Some air pollutants are so dangerous that accidental releases can cause serious injury or even death. Air pollution can damage the environment. Trees, lakes and animals have been harmed by air pollution.
Air pollution can damage property.
It can dirty buildings and other structures. Some common pollutants eat away stone, damaging buildings, monuments and statues. Air pollution can cause haze, reducing visibility in national parks and sometime interfering with aviation. The Clean Air Act can change the way you work or do business, and it could, in some ways, change the way you live. This annual publication describes trends in the ambient levels of air pollutants during the past ten years and assesses the current status of our nation's air quality.