AIR POLLUTION -
A PLANETARY PROBLEM
AROUND 80% OF POLLUTANTS ARE OF NATURAL ORIGIN
• 1- 3 billion tons of desert sand
• more than 3.5 million tons of salt particles rise from the ocean
• 20 – 30 billion tons of sulphur compounds are emitted from volcanoes
• countless microorganisms and viruses
• billions of tons of organic substances
• pollen, leaf fibres and many other particles of plant and animal origin are emitted into the atmosphere every year.
AIR POLLUTION -
A PLANETARY PROBLEM
ABOUT 20% OF POLLUTANTS ARE MAN MADE
• More than 100,000,000 tons of sulphur compounds originating from coal combustion
• more than 100,000,000 tons of nitrogen compounds
• about 8,000,000 tons of soot due to fuel combustion
• about 35,000 tons of dust from worn out brake pads (in the U.S.A alone)
• more than 25,000 tons of dust from wear of automobile tyres (in the U.S.A alone)
• billions of tons of toxic dust from various factories, producers of lead, copper, chromium, sulphur and other chemical products
are emitted into the atmosphere every year.
The indoor air is more polluted because
• house dust
• organic and inorganic allergens and irritants
mould, pollen, insects, chemicals…)
• toxins which evaporate from furniture, paints, lacquers, floors, carpets, office and household appliances, plastics, insecticides etc.
• tobacco smoke
• products of combustion originating from stoves, heaters, fireplaces, candles etc.
unpleasant smells of organic and inorganic origin
DO YOU KNOW THAT...?
during one day, an adult person:
• inhales air about 22,000 times
• breathes in 15,000 to 20,000 litres of air
• with each breath inhales 40,000 to 75,000 dust particles
MANY STUDIES HAVE SHOWN...
Up to 45 kg of dust are removed from a household of four persons over a period of one year
Just 1 g of dust contains more than 700,000,000 of dust particles of varying composition
Inside one glass, which is apparently clean, there can be up to 25,000 of invisible dust particles
WHAT ARE IONS?
HIDDEN
HOW DOES NATURE PRODUCE NEGATIVE IONS?
Sources of energy – sun rays, lighting, sea waves etc.
– affect the molecules of gases in the air (nitrogen, oxygen,carbon dioxide) and as a result, electrones are released.
The electrons are linked with neutral molecules in the air that evolve into negative ions.
NATURE IS THE BIGGEST FACTORY THAT PRODUCES NEGATIVE IONS AROUND THE CLOCK.
LIFE ON EARTH WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT IT.
THE POSITIVELY AND NEGATIVELY CHARGED IONS ARE IN BALANCE. ANY DISTURBANCE OF THE NATURAL BALANCE LEADS TO VARIOUS DAMAGING CONSEQUENCES.
Ions
OF
HOW DO POSITIVE IONS AFFECT US?
INCREASED PRESENCE OF POSITIVE IONS IN THE AIR
– NEGATIVE EFFECTS
When is the concentration of positive ions in the air increased?
• Before and during spells of bad weather (rain, storm, wind, snow etc.)
• In autumn/winter
How do people feel in that period?
• Many people feel bad
• Those who suffer from chronic bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory disorders feel worse
• People who suffer from rheumatism feel worse (pains in joints, shoulders, back etc.)
• An increased number of people with psychosomatic symptoms
• More frequent depressions and suicides
HOW DO NEGATIVE IONS AFFECT US?
INCREASED PRESENCE OF NEGATIVE IONS IN THE AIR
POSITIVE EFFECTS
clean