Definition Of Smog
It is a thick fog-like layer in the atmosphere, especially during winters
More About Smog
- Smog is made up of smoke and fog
- Smoke may contain oxides of nitrogen which combine with other air pollutants and fog to form smog
- The smog causes breathing difficulties such as asthma and wheezing in children
- The word "smog" was made of the words smoke and fog to refer to smoky fog.
- A kind of smog is caused by the burning of large amounts of coal within a city; this smog contains soot particulates from smoke, sulfur dioxide and other components
- Modern smog, as found in Los Angeles, is a type of air pollution derived from vehicular emission from internal combustion engines and industrial fumes that react in the atmosphere with sunlight to form secondary pollutants that also combine with the primary emissions to form “photochemical smog”
- Smog is usually highly toxic to humans and can cause severe sickness, shortened life or death
- Smog usually forms in industrial areas or areas of high population, which release large amounts of air pollution, such as smoke or gases
- Photochemical smog is the chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, which leaves airborne particles and ground-level ozone
- In cold conditions, most pollutants are not dispersed and remain concentrated at the lower strata of the atmosphere. Therefore, there is a marked increase in pollution in the winter months when fog formation increases and wind speed decreases. This leads to smog formation
- The high concentration of dust particles travel from the nasal mucosa to the larynx, trachea and then to the lungs
- Apart from irritation, smog also leads to rhinitis, bronchitis, laryngitis and in severe cases cause pulmonary fibrosis, an irreversible health condition. So, people who go to work early in the mornings should always use protective measures like a scarf to cover their face
- Coal fires, used to heat individual buildings or in a power-producing plant, can emit significant clouds of smoke that contributes to smog
- London, in particular, had coal-caused smog
- Traffic emissions – such as from trucks, buses, and automobiles – also contribute to smog
- The major culprits are from transportation sources are carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO and NOx), volatile organic compounds, sulfur dioxide, and hydrocarbons
- These molecules react with sunlight, heat, ammonia, moisture, and other compounds to form the noxious vapors, ground level ozone, and particles that comprise smog
- Photochemical smog is the chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, which leaves airborne particles and ground-level ozone
