What Is Smog And Its Types?


 
Smog is a kind of air pollution that makes it hard to see. In the early 1900s, the term "smog" was devised to describe a mixture of smoke and fog. The smoke was usually caused by coal burning. Smog was common in industrial areas and is still seen today in cities.
 

WHAT IS SMOG?

Smog is a combination of the words smoke and fog that refers to smoky fog owing to its opaqueness and odour. It was coined in the early twentieth century.
The term was originally intended to refer to pea soup fog, which was a common and serious problem in London from the 19th century to the mid-20th century.
Nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, ozone, smoke, and other particulates make up this type of visible air pollution. Coal combustion emissions, vehicular emissions, industrial emissions, forest and agricultural fires, and photochemical reactions of these emissions all contribute to man-made smog.
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WHY IS SMOG HARMFUL?

  • Inhaling smog for an extended period of time, similar to cigarette smoking, can irritate your breathing passage.
  • Smog causes lungs to become inflamed, and inflamed lungs secrete interleukin-6, which can lead to blood clots, cardiac and respiratory problems, and heart attacks or strokes.
  • The protective membranes of your nose and throat can be dried out by smog.
  • It can weaken your body's ability to fight infection, making you more susceptible to illness.
  • It can significantly reduce UV radiation, resulting in low levels of important nutrients like Vitamin D.
 

2 TYPES OF SMOG:

 
Sulfurous smog and photochemical smog are the two types of smog that are recognised.
 

WHAT CAUSES SULFUROUS SMOG?

  • "London smog" is another name for sulphurous smog (first formed in London).
  • Sulfurous smog is caused by the use of sulfur-bearing fossil fuels, particularly coal (Coal was the main source of power in London during the nineteenth century). In the early twentieth century, the effects of coal combustion were observed.
  • Dampness and a high concentration of suspended particulate matter in the air aggravate this type of smog.
 

WHAT CAUSES PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG?

  • "Los Angeles smog" is another name for photochemical smog.
  • Photochemical smog is most prevalent in cities with a large number of automobiles (Nitrogen oxides are the primary emissions).
  • When pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (primary pollutant) and organic compounds (primary pollutants) react together in the presence of SUNLIGHT, photochemical (summer smog) forms. The result is the formation of a gas known as OZONE (secondary pollutant).
  • Nitrogen Dioxide + Sunlight + Hydrocarbons = Ozone (Ozone is beneficial in the stratosphere, but it causes global warming near the earth's surface because it is a greenhouse gas).
  • The smog that results in a light brownish colouration of the atmosphere, reduced visibility, plant damage, eye irritation, and respiratory distress.
 

WHERE SMOGS ARE FOUND?

Typically found in large cities with a lot of vehicles and industries.
Because smog is trapped and cannot be carried away by the wind, it is found in cities that are located in basins surrounded by mountains.
 

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR SMOG TO FORM?

The time it takes to form a fog is proportional to the temperature.
 

HOW CAN SMOG BE REDUCED?

  • Using renewable energy sources
  • To reduce the number of vehicles on the road, an efficient public transportation system with last-mile connectivity is required.
  • Improvement in Energy efficiency.
  • use of smog towers

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