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Air pollution hotspots are ecological hotspots with a critical state of airspace due to excessive pollution and destruction of the micro biocoenosis of a given location. Modern society involves the production and consumption of such an amount of substance and energy that exceeds human biological needs hundreds of times, which is the main cause of today's ecological crisis. Today, the productive activity of mankind is associated with the use of a variety of natural resources, covering most of the chemical elements. Increased man-made impact on the natural environment has given rise to several environmental problems. The most acute is related to the state of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. The world map of air pollution each year is replenished by new locations, the air quality of which needs an immediate response from ecologists and the public. Changes in air quality scales can directly affect health and vitality. Others have indirect effects, such as carbon dioxide emissions affecting the climate, which in turn affects food production; shifts in nutrient concentrations cause some populations to die and others to increase.
Air contains a huge number of small solid and liquid particles in suspension. Some of them are formed in the process of chemical reactions arising from the interaction of particles with each other or with water vapor. Some of these particles are released into the air as a result of natural phenomena and human activity. The causes of hotspots of air pollution are divided into natural and artificial. The former include natural phenomena - volcanic eruptions, forest fires, sand and dust storms, and so on. The latter occurs most often in arid regions, including North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia, and China. Sand and dust particles can be carried by strong wind currents for hundreds or thousands of kilometers. Artificial pollutants, or anthropogenic pollutants, enter the air as a result of human activities - the use of chemicals, waste disposal, and burning of fossil fuels in energy, industry, transportation, and households. Agriculture is also involved in increasing the number of locations with polluted air.
The main cause of air pollution is the production of all kinds of energy. But other industries also pollute the air, especially mining, heavy industry, nuclear power, as well as garbage processing plants, exhaust gases from motor vehicles, etc. Air pollution is strongest in cities, but recently it has become increasingly global. However, according to air pollution monitors, the type of air pollution depends more on location. Thus, the source of carbon dioxide pollution is the eruption of volcanoes, and all kinds of combustion processes, including the burning of fossil fuels, respiration of organisms, and decomposition of organic matter. In addition to combustion processes, carbon monoxide pollution comes from electrical discharges in the atmosphere and automobile exhaust gases. If we talk about changes in air quality by sulfur derivatives (SO2, SO3, etc.), the reasons may be as follows: ● Volcanic eruptions; ● Burning of fossil fuels; ● Oil distillation; ● Bacterial activity; ● Sulfuric acid production; ● Seaspray. Hydrocarbon pollution occurs at oil and gas production sites, near refineries, and gasoline pumps, from the evaporation of their fuel tanks and car engines, and from the fermentation of bacteria. Radioactive substances enter the atmosphere and cause deterioration of air quality in the area of nuclear power plants and in places where nuclear disasters have occurred. Causes of air pollution by heavy metals include improper disposal of high-temperature emissions from industrial plants, garbage processing plants, and burning fossil fuels.
The consequences of air pollution trigger not just one mechanism, but a complex of mechanisms, each of which individually can be the death of mankind or all life on the planet. According to the real-time air pollution index, the state of the air space in more than 50% of the countries of the world is unfavorable and even dangerous for mankind. The world's population is already facing the following: 1. An increase in disease, including cardiovascular pathologies. The effects of air pollution create several respiratory and heart diseases, along with cancer. Several million people die each year as a direct or indirect result of exposure to air pollution. Children in areas exposed to air pollutants commonly suffer from pneumonia and asthma. 2. Global Warming. As temperatures, sea levels, and ice melt in colder regions and icebergs around the world rise, species are displaced and habitats are lost. This signals an impending catastrophe if conservation and normalization actions are not taken soon. 3. Acid Rain. Harmful gasses such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. When it rains, water droplets combine with these air pollutants, become acidic, and then fall to the ground as acid rain. Acid rain can cause great harm to humans, animals, and crops. If we don't start finding solutions to air pollution, air quality in air hotspots will reach catastrophic levels. Every one of us can also contribute to solving the problem of air pollution. We can do this by using energy sparingly, using public transportation, bicycling or walking whenever possible, keeping our cars and other appliances running smoothly, and using environmentally friendly cosmetics and cleaning products.