What type of pollutant is smog

The Ports Initiative is working to develop and implement environmentally sustainable port strategies through partnerships between EPA and ports. The program identifies opportunities to reduce air pollution and improve air quality in port communities, and reduce the carbon pollution that contributes to climate change while supporting jobs and the economy.

EPA is supporting these efforts through a number of programs, including funding through the Diesel Emission Reductions Act. EPA standards for transportation sources and voluntary programs have resulted in significant reductions in mobile source air toxic emissions. Mobile source hazardous air pollutants have been cut in half since With additional fleet turnover, EPA expects that emission to be cut by 80 percent by the year To achieve the benefits of our regulations, EPA must ensure that the standards set for vehicles, engines and fuels are being met.

One way EPA achieves this is by surveillance testing of cars, trucks and engines at our state-of-the-art National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory.

The laboratory also provides critical resource to accomplish the vehicle and engine testing work necessary to set vehicle and engine emissions standards and fuel standards.

In states and communities throughout the country, state and local leaders are seeking to balance their air quality, climate, and transportation goals. The other primary constituent, particulate matter, can also form through chemical reactions but is introduced to the atmosphere through other means as well.

Wind may disperse these particles among land, thereby decreasing the amount within a given area. In addition, rainfall may wash these pollutants out of the local atmosphere, [2] however, this can result in other unwanted events like acid rain. When smog encounters an inversion layer caused by warm areas in the upper atmosphere it can stay over a region for an extended period of time—exposing people to its effects for longer.

Visit the inversion layer page to see how this phenomena occurs. The health effects from smog and its components can be severe, and depend on many variables. Smog is harmful when inhaled, with the severity of it depending on the amount inhaled, the types of pollutants contained in it, as well as the individual's age, weight, activity level, and well-being.

Types of effects smog has include: [2]. This effects can be seen in Figure 3 below, with more serious and rare effects at the top, and the more common yet milder effects towards the bottom. Visit the Government of Canada for information of smog in Canada, and how to reduce your risk of its adverse effects. Smog affects much more than just human lives; it also has a large impact on the surrounding physical environment.

The U. It is especially prevalent in geologic basins encircled by hills or mountains. Related Stories. However, these adverse effects were lessened in people taking Procedures are even more common in winter, the most And researchers The sun heats layers of the atmosphere causing it to convect driving air movement and weather patterns around the world.

Teach your students about the Earth's atmosphere with the resources in this collection. Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are called pollutants. Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants. It also damages buildings. Non-renewable energy comes from sources that will eventually run out, such as oil and coal.

Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Everyone can do their part to reduce smog by changing a few behaviors, such as: Drive less. Walk, bike, carpool , and use public transportation whenever possible. Take care of cars. Getting regular tune-up s, changing oil on schedule, and inflating tires to the proper level can improve gas mileage and reduce emissions.

Fuel up during the cooler hours of the day—night or early morning. This prevents gas fumes from heating up and producing ozone. Avoid products that release high levels of VOCs. For example, use low-VOC paint s. Avoid gas-powered yard equipment, like lawn mower s. Use electric appliances instead. Smog is often worst in the mornings, when there is less air movement.