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Air pollution can cause diseases, allergies, and even death; it can also cause harm to animals and crops and damage the natural environment (for example, climate change, ozone depletion or habitat degradation) or built environment (for example, acid rain). [2] Air pollution can occur naturally or be caused by human activities. [3]
The Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 (Pub. L. 84–159, ch. 360, 69 Stat. 322) was the first U.S. federal law to address the national environmental problem of air pollution. This was "an act to provide research and technical assistance relating to air pollution control". [2]
Various definitions of pollution exist, which may or may not recognize certain types, such as noise pollution or greenhouse gases.The United States Environmental Protection Administration defines pollution as "Any substances in water, soil, or air that degrade the natural quality of the environment, offend the senses of sight, taste, or smell, or cause a health hazard.
Particulate pollution is pollution of an environment that consists of particles suspended in some medium. There are three primary forms: atmospheric particulate matter, [1] marine debris, [2] and space debris. [3] Some particles are released directly from a specific source, while others form in chemical reactions in the atmosphere.
A pollutant or novel entity [1] is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired effect, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. These can be both naturally forming (i.e. minerals or extracted compounds like oil) or anthropogenic in origin (i.e. manufactured materials or byproducts).
Air pollution is the introduction of airborne chemicals, particulate matter or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to organisms. [59] The population growth , industrialization and motorization of human societies have significantly increased the amount of airborne pollutants in the Earth's atmosphere, causing noticeable problems ...
In the United States, the National Weather Service issues an Air Stagnation Advisory when these conditions are likely to occur. [6] When substantial accumulations of smoke, dust, industrial emissions, or air pollution are predicted to occur close to the ground for a prolonged amount of time, the National Weather Service issues this product. [6]
This principle has also been used to put the costs of pollution prevention on the polluter. [ 1 ] It is regarded as a regional custom because of the strong support it has received in most Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Union countries, [ 2 ] and has a strong scientific basis in economics .