What Are the Natural Sources of Air Pollution and How Do They Affect Our Health?

Key Points:

• Smog and air pollution come from both natural sources (volcanoes, fires) and human activities (fuel burning, industry, transportation).
• The most harmful pollutants are those from human activities, causing respiratory and heart diseases, cancers, and fertility problems.
• To protect health, limit exposure to pollution and monitor air quality regularly.

Is air pollution and smog caused only by the combustion of non-renewable fuels? What is the impact of the negative substances on our health, and what are some examples of natural air pollution? Keep reading!

• How is smog formed?
• Natural sources of air pollution
• The impact of air pollutants and smog on health
• The takeaway

How is smog formed?

Smog is a word created by combining two terms: smoke and fog. It’s used to describe a yellowish, or blackish fog that contains harmful substances like particulate matter, and ground-level ozone. Typically, smog is created as a result of human activity, mainly in industrial areas, where there are plenty of factories, and where the car traffic is significant. What are natural sources of air pollution?

Natural sources of air pollution

So what are the natural causes of air pollution? Although we’ve mentioned that smog is caused mainly by humans, it’s worth noting that there are also natural sources of air pollution, and the most popular ones include:

• ash,
• soot,
• sulphur dioxide,
• ground-level ozone,
• salt spray,
• volcanic gases,
• radon.

They are created mainly during volcanic eruptions, grass fires, and forest fires.

The impact of air pollutants and smog on health

As you can see, there are both human-made and natural sources of air pollution. It’s worth noting that the first group, including sulphur dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide that are created mainly by factories, power plants, and vehicles, is the most dangerous to health and may cause:

• various circulatory and respiratory conditions,
• asthma,
• allergies,
• problems with concentration,
• cancer,
• stroke,
• heart attack,
• nausea,
• diabetes,
• miscarriages,
• problems with fertility.

Therefore, it’s better to be on the safe side and limit your exposure to the above-mentioned dangerous substances. Stay at home when the air quality isn’t satisfactory, choose public transportation to commute to work, or school, and minimise the use of non-renewable energy.

The takeaway

As you can see, there are various types of air pollution. Poor air quality and smog have a tremendous impact on the health of humans and animals. Apart from causing serious conditions in the long-run, they may decrease our well-being and concentration levels. To avoid such negative consequences, it’s worth minimising our exposure to harmful factors, and monitoring air quality levels with the use of special air quality sensors and maps.