Sources of Pollution
The rapidly increasing human activities like the burning of fossil fuels are the major cause of air pollution. Besides, there are some other air pollutants like industrial waste, agricultural waste, power plants, thermal nuclear plants, etc. Studies have also shown that the pollution in India, especially in Delhi have increased due to the open burning of biomass, dumping of municipal waste, potholed roads, traffic congestion and construction activity.
Summers are getting overheated and the temperatures are exceeded in northern regions of India due to air pollution caused by certain reasons such as crop burning in Punjab. In these areas, the primary sources of air pollution are agricultural activities such as crop burning. Depending on the winds, particles created by crop burning can impact large areas and even stay airborne for many days. Crop burning is usually seasonal and partially explains why the air quality in October and November is so poor.
Deforestation - Earlier there happens to be a large number of trees which can easily filter the air we breathe in. As the number of plants and trees reduce the carbon dioxide in the air increases and this is a major pollutant, so cutting of trees (deforestation) is a cause of pollution. But with the increase in demand for land, the people started cutting down of trees which caused deforestation. That ultimately reduced the filtering capacity of the tree.
Agricultural Source - Ammonia is one of the most hazardous gases emitted during agricultural activities. The insecticides, pesticides and fertilisers emit harmful chemicals in the atmosphere and contaminate it.
Urban Source - The fine particles that pollute our air mostly come from human activities such as burning fuels to generate electricity, transportation, waste burning, agriculture — a major source of methane and ammonia -- and the chemical and mining industries. Natural sources include volcanic eruptions, sea spray, soil dust, and lightning.
Industrialisation - In developing countries, reliance on wood and other solid fuels, like raw coal for cooking, heating and lighting, and the use of kerosene for lighting, increases air pollution in homes.
Vehicles - Moreover, during the last few decades, the numbers of fossil fuel burning vehicle increased rapidly which increased the number of pollutants in air which has rapidly increased the air pollution.
Fossil Fuels - India is the world's largest consumer of fuel wood, agricultural waste and biomass for energy purposes. It includes burning of fossil fuel and firewood, smoke released from the factories, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, bombardment, CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons), carbon oxides and many more. The fossil fuel such as petroleum, diesel, firewood, and other things that we burn produce oxides of carbons which got released into the atmosphere.
Fireworks - It’s also worth mentioning that festivals such as Diwali significantly impact air pollution. While this event is only once yearly, the day after the fireworks often break records as the air pollution is so severe. In fact, one year, the air pollution levels in New Delhi the day after Diwali were 300 times above the WHO exposure guidelines. Worsening the problem, the monsoon season has concluded by this point, meaning the air pollution often lingers for days or weeks.
Effects
Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is also the cause of air pollution because air pollution produces the gases that greenhouse involves. Besides, it increases the temperature of earth surface so much that the polar caps are melting and most of the UV rays are easily penetrating the surface of the earth.
On Health
The air pollution has many bad effects on the health of people. It is the cause of many skins and respiratory disorder in human beings. Also, it causes heart disease too. Air pollution causes asthma, bronchitis, and many other diseases. Moreover, it increases the rate of aging of lungs, decreases lungs function, damage cells in the respiratory system. As you can see, air pollution has an astounding impact on many areas of India, and life expectancy is reduced by almost 12 years in Delhi where the pollution as its peak in India. This is an almost unbelievable fact.
Acid Rain
When the polluted air containing nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxides is condensed, it forms rain along with certain acids such as nitric acid, sulphuric acids known as acid rain. Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. When this type of rain falls on ground, it decreases the fertility of soil and damages monuments such as Taj Mahal.