What is Smog?
Smog is a type of intense air pollution. It is a mixture of smoke and fog. Hence, the name Smog.
How is smog formed?
When we burn coal, various harmful particles rise up in the air. If they are produced excessively, being heavy particles, they will not rise up in the air thus causing them to mix with the fog which is heavy water droplets suspended near the earth’s surface. This forms smog.
What are the effects of smog?
- The inhalation of this air can lead to allergies, respiratory and other diseases. Sometimes it can prove fatal as
- If it dissolves in rain, it gives rise to acid
- Smog leads to a drastic decrease in visibility. Such a condition is risky when you are travelling by road as it can lead to accidents and major
How does nature indicate abnormalities in the environment?
Nature always acts as an indicator of abnormalities in the environment. For instance:
- Changing climatic conditions
- Drastic change in weather
There are even several organisms in nature that point out towards the abnormalities in the environment.
For instance:
Lichens are excellent indicators of air pollution.
Lichens are called bio-indicators because they are quite sensitive to sulphur in the air. If the sulphur content in the air increases, you will see that there are absolutely no lichens around you. They absorb much of sulphur and this accumulation kills them. In today’s industrialized world, many of the lichen’s species have become extinct.