How is Air pollution affecting the earth and its people?

Air pollution is affecting society through health impacts and devastating effects on the environment and the global economy.  The first effect of air pollution is physical health. Statistics in the USA have linked regular exposure to air pollution to many different types of pulmonary disease and can have serious cardiovascular effects. Research showed that 64,000 deaths in 2010 in the USA where pulmonary disease and lung cancer which was caused by exposure to air pollution. Exposure to Air pollution can also cause decreased lung capacity in children which can reduce their lung capacity by up to 20 percent. The American Heart Association reports that living in areas with heavy air pollution can reduce your life by 1.8 to 3.1 years on average. Air pollution can also lead to increased chance of having a heart attack or stroke, and can even cause problems with normal blood function and clotting. The second effect of air pollution is on the environment. The first effect on the environment is acid rain which is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are combined with water and oxygen in the atmosphere. Acid rain causes acidification of lakes and streams and contributes to the damage of trees at high elevations. Acid rain also accelerates the decay of building materials and paint. Another effect on the environment that air pollution has is the enhanced greenhouse effect. Air pollution is helping contribute to the earth’s temperature rising to unsafe levels which are contributing to global warming. The effects of this are happening and will begin to happen if the earth’s temperature keeps on rising. An example of some of these effects will be higher sea levels, increased melting of the ice, hurricanes, storms, draughts and many more environmental effects that will increase. Another effect of air pollution is economic. In the USA reports done have showed that $40-$50 billion dollars each year is spent on the health costs of human exposure to outdoor air pollutants. With acid rain causing $6 billion a year in damage to crops, forests, lakes, and buildings. These are the main effects that air pollution has on today’s society and environment.