Injustice of air pollution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Injustice of air pollution - Research Paper Example These emissions can either be primary or secondary. Primary pollutants are directly from the source like: carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen. Secondary pollutants are produced in the air by the combination of two or more primary pollutants like: ozone, PAN and photochemical smog. The causes of air pollution are: emission of nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide and sulfur oxide and these emissions can be mitigated in several ways such as locating the pollution in remote areas, reduction of sulfur oxide, and carbon dioxide. The injustices that air pollution has are that the pollution has its greatest effects amongst the minority groups, low income groups and low unemployment areas. Keywords: Air Pollution, Injustices, Pollution, Sulphur Oxide, Nitrogen Oxide, Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, Pollutants The largest fraction of the biosphere is made up of the atmosphere, which is an active system which regularly absorbs different gases, solids, and liquids from both man-made and natural s ources. Gases, liquids, and solids travel in air, dispersing and reacting with one another, and other substances chemically and physically. These constituents find their way to receptors and depositories such as human beings and oceans respectively. Air pollution can be defined as the presence of unwanted substances in the air. ... The problems of air pollution are not evenly distributed; poor people and some racial and ethnical groups form the majority of people who face the high risks of pollutants and high amounts of air pollution. Rao asserts that, studies have proven that poorer people from certain racial and ethical backgrounds with low socioeconomic positions, and lack of the education are the most victims as they live near the main sources of pollution (1989). Studies by researchers have found that the risk of premature death from air toxicity as a result of the pollution has the greatest effects amongst the minority groups, such as African-Americans, in comparison to people of other races or ethnic groups. The socio-economic conditions of minority groups and people in third world countries have been associated with greater harm from the effects of air pollution. Fine particles in air have increased the overall risk of premature deaths. The risk of premature death doesn’t only affect the African- Americans, but also people who live in higher unemployment areas or high usage of transportation. A research carried out in 2008 shows that people who have poor quality of air and serious asthma went hand-in-hand in areas where Medicaid intake was high, but the areas with the highest Medicaid intake didn’t have a strong association with air pollution and asthma attacks (American Lung Association, 2012). A study shows that, in France there was no association of air pollution with low income and asthma attacks (American Lung Association, 2012). Through the study, researchers came to a conclusion and stated that there are three broad reasons why disparities exist. First, groups may have greater exposure to