Environmental effects of air pollution
...nowmobiles and other petrol driven engines which throw out Carbon Monoxide into the atmosphere. Toxic pollutants can be carried by the wind, away from their source to other locations. Things such as the weather, the terrain (i.e., mountains, valleys), and the properties of a pollutant determine how far it can travel. It will degrade, remain airborne, or deposit on land or water. Some pollutants remain airborne and contribute to air pollution problems far from the pollution source. Other pollutants released into the air can be deposited to land and water through precipitation by settling directly out of the air onto land or water. Over time a large portion of those pollutants deposited near water bodies or small tributaries will reach the water bodies via storm water runoff or flowing in from the tributaries. Snowmobiles currently emit more than 220,000 tons of hydrocarbons(HC) and 580,000 tons of carbon monoxide (CO) each year across the United States. These emissions contribute to huge concentrations of CO, air toxics and fine particle matter, which is largely responsible for visibility impairment at the national parks especially Yellowstone National Park. Reducing these emissions would benefit the health and environment of people. Snowmobile manufacturers must ensure that each new snowmobile sold meets the new emission standards. The standards apply only to new snowmobiles produced in 2006 or later. Another result of air pollution is an increasing hole in the ozone layer in the atmosphere above Antarctica, coupled with growing evidence of global ozone depletion. This can increase the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth, where it damages crops and plants and can lead to skin cancer, cataracts and other deadly or even fatal diseases. These are the long term effects of air pollution on the environment and also on our health. Is awareness the answer to this problem, and why? Awareness is the solution to the problem of this pollution in the National Park of Yellowstone and other parks. Being made aware of the effects of the CO (Carbon Monoxide) being belched out by the snowmobiles, that it can have on your body and the environment. The Park Rangers of Yellowstone have had to wear respirators to work because of the high emissions from the snowmobiles. The National Park allows for continued snowmo...