Smog is a combination of fog, smoke and particles present in the atmosphere.
Smog is a concept in the English language formed from the words smoke (which translates as "smoke" ) and fog ( "fog" ). The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) does not accept this term, but prefers the word smog .
Smog or smog is a combination of smoke, fog and various particles found in the atmosphere of places with high levels of pollution . The phenomenon occurs when the air stagnates for an extended period of high pressure and the polluting particles remain floating in the lower atmospheric layers due to their greater density.
Photochemical smog
When the sun's rays catalyze volatile organic particles and nitrogen oxides emitted by cars, what is known as photochemical smog is generated. This results in the formation of peroxyacil nitrate and ozone, which causes irritation of the respiratory system and eye discomfort.
Smog is generated in cities where many motor vehicles circulate and where there is intense industrial activity , since these factors generate air pollution . The phenomenon intensifies on hot, sunny days because the upper layers of the air become thicker. In localities that have mountains around them, the formation of smog also intensifies: polluting substances do not circulate.
Mexico City , Sao Paulo ( Brazil ), Buenos Aires ( Argentina ), Lima ( Peru ), Santiago de Chile , New York ( United States ), Los Angeles ( United States ) and Beijing ( China ) are some of the cities with higher level of smog.
The most populated cities usually have a high level of smog.
Its effects
Although it is such a common phenomenon in many cities of great importance worldwide, the consequences of smog are not at all negligible. Firstly, it can cause problems in the respiratory system, especially for those individuals who suffer from asthma ; Depending on the intensity of this disease , it may be impossible to resist an entire day in an urbanization where smog is an indivisible part of the landscape.
But it is not necessary to suffer a previous disorder for smog to affect our breathing , since it causes damage to the membranes of the lungs and this leads to discomfort, pain, throat irritation and cough, in addition to making it difficult to hydrate the eyes.
In the worst case, significant and continued exposure to smog can lead to lung cancer of similar or perhaps greater severity than that resulting from tobacco use. Needless to say, a city with this problem is not friendly to those people with vocations such as singing, voiceover, acting or sports in general, although no one should live in these conditions.
As if all this were not enough, we must not forget that the rest of living beings also suffer the consequences of smog . The other animals, some of which we bring to live in cities without "asking" them if it is what they really want, must breathe this lethal combination of smoke and fog, and therefore develop problems that they should never face in the wild . The case of plants, from a selfish point of view, also affects us, since smog does not allow them to provide us with the benefits that characterize them.
How to reduce smog
There are many measures that aim to reduce smog in cities, such as the following:
- Promote electric mobility instead of the use of fuel.
- Impose tolls in areas with the highest vehicle traffic.
- Improve the characteristics and benefits of public transport .
- Expand green areas.
- Use asphalts such as Noxer, capable of absorbing a percentage of the pollution.