Pollution

Pollution

For terms related to pollution.

Contributors in Pollution

Pollution

Unwanted chemicals or other materials found in the air, water, and/or ground. Pollutants can harm health, the environment and property. Many air pollutants occur as gases or vapors, but some are very ...

Smog

Environment; Pollution

A mixture of pollutants, principally ground-level ozone, produced by chemical reactions in the air. A major portion of smog-formers comes from burning petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline, but also ...

Sulfur Dioxide

Environment; Pollution

Sulfur dioxide is a gas produced by burning coal, most notably in power plants. Some industrial processes, such as production of paper and smelting of metals, and also produce sulfur dioxide. Sulfur ...

Ultraviolet B

Environment; Pollution

A type of sunlight. The ozone in the stratosphere filters out ultraviolet B rays and keeps them from reaching the Earth. Thinning of the ozone layer in the stratosphere results in increased amounts ...

Particulate Matter

Environment; Pollution

Any material, except pure water, that exists in the solid or liquid state in the atmosphere. The size of particulate matter can vary from coarse, wind-blown dust particles to fine particle combustion ...

PM2.5

Environment; Pollution

Includes tiny particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 2.5 microns. This fraction of particulate matter penetrates most deeply into the lungs.

PM10

Environment; Pollution

A criteria air pollutant consisting of small particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 microns (about 1/7 the diameter of a single human hair). Their small size allows ...