AIR POLLUTION

The contamination of air by unwanted gases, smoke particles, and other substances is generally considered a relatively recent phenomenon. However, pollution of the air, particularly by smoke, has plagued many communities since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. By the late 19^th century there was considerable agitation by citizens’ groups in London who protested the smoke-laden air of the city, but their protest were drowned out by the clamor for industrial development. Complaints against air pollution were registered elsewhere in Europe as well as in the United States. Laws on air quality were first adopted as early as 1815 in Pittsburgh. Chicago and Cincinnati followed with smoke-control measures in 1881. By 1912, 23 of the 28 American cities with populations over 200,000 had smoke-abatement ordinances.

From the 1930’s to the 1950’s, when smoke pollution was at its worst in the United States, air pollution was still regarded as a nuisance worthy of only local attention. During that period, in a number of Eastern and Midwestern industrial cities the smoke was so thick, particularly during the winter, that at noon it was sometimes nearly as dark as at midnight. Finally, the sheer soiling nuisance of the problem provoked public outcries that resulted in the enactment of smoke-control legislation, its partial enforcement, and visible improvement in the atmosphere of a number of industrial cities.

These efforts were focused primarily on reduncing smoke from fossil fuels, particularly coal, by regulating the types of coal that could be burned, by improving combustion practices, and in some cases by using special devices to control emissions of particles into the air. The replacement of steam locomotives by diesel engines and the increased use of gas for heating also contributed greatly to the reduction of air pollution.

Effects Of Air Pollution is effects on Buildings and Materials. Air pollutants are damaging to a wide variety of materials.  Steel corrodes two to four times faster in urban and industrial areas than in rural areas. When particulate matter is also present in the air, the corrosion rates increase greatly. Sulfur oxides accelerate the erosion of statuary and buildings throughout the world, causing alarm for future integrity of ancient buildings such as the Acropolis in Athens. Works of art made of stone or bronze are often moved indoors to preserve them from deterioration caused by air pollution. Particulate matter not only accelerates the corrosive action of other pollutants but in itself is responsible for costly damage and soiling.