COMPOSITION OF AIR:
Air is a mixture of several gases, water vapor, and dust
particles:
Nitrogen: 78.09% of air is nitrogen, an inert gas that's
odorless and colorless. It's important for plant growth and is
added to fertilizers.
Oxygen: 20.95% of air is oxygen, a gas that's important for
breathing. It's also combustible, meaning it can catch fire
easily.
Argon: 0.93% of air is argon.
Carbon dioxide: 0.04% of air is carbon dioxide, a colorless,
odorless gas with a slightly sour taste. It's a greenhouse gas
that traps heat. The amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere is increasing due to the burning of fossil fuels.
Water vapor: Air also contains varying amounts of water
vapor.
Trace amounts: Air also contains trace amounts of other
gases, such as helium, neon, methane, and hydrogen.
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The molar mass of dry air, or air with little to no water vapor,
is 28.97g/mol.
IMPORTANCE:
Air is important for many reasons, including:
Sustaining life
Air is essential for life on Earth because it contains oxygen,
which living things need to breathe. During respiration, living
things take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide, which gives
them energy to grow, eat, and live.
Supporting combustion
Air allows for the burning of fuels, which provides heat, light,
and energy. This is used for cooking, generating electricity,
and running vehicles and industries.
Temperature control
Air helps regulate the Earth's surface temperature by
circulating hot and cold air.
Pollination
Air is a medium for transporting pollen grains from male
flowers to female flowers, which allows flowers to bloom and
fruits to be produced.
Uses in everyday life
Air is used for many other purposes, including sailing, flying
kites and aircraft, drying clothes, and inflating tires and
balloons.
AIR POLLUTION:
Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor
environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent
that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.
Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial
facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution.
Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate
matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur
dioxide. Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory
and other diseases and are important sources of morbidity
and mortality.
WHO data show that almost all of the global population
(99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits and
contains high levels of pollutants, with low- and middle-
income countries suffering from the highest exposures.
Air quality is closely linked to the earth’s climate and
ecosystems globally. Many of the drivers of air pollution (i.e.
combustion of fossil fuels) are also sources of greenhouse gas
emissions. Policies to reduce air pollution, therefore, offer a
win-win strategy for both climate and health, lowering the
burden of disease attributable to air pollution, as well as
contributing to the near- and long-term mitigation of climate
change.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
.THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM
THE FOLLOWING WESITES AND AI TOOLS:
*GEMINI AI
*WIKIPEDIA
*WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION(WHO)
*META AI
