Air pollution leads to poor air quality, which has a range of impacts on both humans and wildlife . The main sources or air pollution are cars , factories and power stations. The number of cars on Britain s roads is constantly increasing. Each car burns fuel, and fumes containing carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates and lead come out of the exhaust pipe and pollute the air. We all rely on electricity to cook food, watch television and make our daily lives more comfortable.
Electricity is made in power stations by burning coal, oil and gas.
As they are burnt, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from tall chimneys, called stacks, into the atmosphere. Today, most people have central heating in their homes, but in remote areas coal is still burnt to provide heat. Harmful gases are given off which can be damaging to the environment. In the past nearly all homes were heated in this way. In historical times, pollution from homes and factories was much worse than it is today, because there were few laws controlling its release into the air.