How does the atmosphere beco

Apuntes

**How does the atmosphere become polluted?** Impurities and waste gases, mainly from human activities, accumulate in the atmosphere. This pollution poses a major global risk to the health of living things and causes serious environmental problems. **• Subtopic: Acid Rain** It is rain that contains dissolved acids due to rainwater combining with pollutant gases present in the air. When acid rain falls, the chemicals it contains are deposited on the Earth's surface. The effects of acid rain are very harmful: - It destroys the leaves of plants, causing them to die. - It increases the acidity of soils and water in rivers and lakes. This is harmful to the living things that inhabit these environments. *Note: There is a mention of a forest affected by acid rain in Germany.* **• Subtopic: Photochemical Haze or Smog** Smog is fog mixed with smoke and other substances suspended in the air, which reduces visibility. Smog mainly affects large cities in winter, when emissions from motor vehicles are combined with emissions from heating systems. Smog irritates the eyes and airways and can cause or worsen diseases such as asthma. It also causes damage to natural vegetation and crops. *No...