What are the main sources of air pollution?

2 Answers
Dec 17, 2014

There are various activities or factors which are responsible for releasing pollutants into the atmosphere. Here is a short list.

Anthropogenic (or man-made) sources:

  • Stationary sources include smoke stacks of power plants, manufacturing factories and waste incinerators.
  • Mobile sources include motor vehicles, marine vessels, and aircraft.

  • Controlled burn practices in agriculture and forest management.

  • Fumes from paint, hair spray, varnish, aerosol sprays and other solvents
  • Waste deposition in landfills, which generate methane.
  • Military resources, such as nuclear weapons, toxic gases, germ warfare and rocketry.

Natural sources:

  • Dust from natural sources.
  • Radon gas from radioactive decay within the Earth's crust.
  • Vegetation, in some regions, emits environmentally significant amounts of VOCs on warmer days.
  • Volcanic activity, which produces sulfur, chlorine, and ash particulates.
Feb 10, 2015
  • Industrial Sources
  • Power Generation
  • Other Industry and waste disposal
  • Road Transport
  • Domestic Sources
    -Agriculture