What You Need to Know About Air Quality
Many laws have been put in place to regulate transport and construction emissions to protect people and the environment from air pollution. When the air quality around us is polluted, we can suffer from breathing problems, coughing and previous conditions like asthma become aggravated.
Pollutants are substances not usually found in the air or at higher concentrations. Under the Clean Air Act of 1970, the environment protection agency was required to establish primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards.
Primary standards have been set to protect against adverse health effects, and secondary standards protect against welfare standards like decreased visibility.
Burning fuel and wood, dust, construction activities, decomposing waste, and agriculture are some human activities that cause pollution. Natural causes include dust from sandstorms, methane gas emitted by cows, and volcanic activity. Countries must implement better planning policies for their urban spaces, ban highly polluting vehicles and regulate dirty emissions.
Over 3 billion people worldwide lack access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking making household air pollution a significant challenge. We can minimize pollution by avoiding burning waste, recycling, and walking as an alternative to driving everywhere.