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Air Pollution

Air pollution is a byproduct of many human activities, including industrial processes and transportation. Natural processes, such as the emission of volatile organic compounds from forests and other vegetation, also create air pollutants.

Whatever the source, air pollution threatens our health, environment and economy.

The OnAIR Web site will provide all sectors - government, industry, non-governmental organizations and the public - with information on local, manmade emissions. This information can then be monitored over time, and guide future actions to reduce air pollution from human activities. The OnAIR Web site will track emission levels for all interested parties.

Air issues can be classified as global, regional or local.

Global air issues

• climate change - involving increased average global temperatures due to elevated levels of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other air pollutants
• stratospheric ozone depletion - the thinning of the earth's protective ozone layer due to the presence of ozone-depleting substances like chloroflurocarbons

Regional air issues

• acid rain - caused by the release of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
• smog - formed from emissions of particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds

Local air issues

• air toxics - elevated local concentrations of compounds, such as metals (including lead and mercury), volatile organic compounds (including perchloroethylene and vinyl chloride), soiling (as a result of emission plume fumigation, drag-out from a site, downwash from stacks or fugitive emissions from factories)
• odours - such as hydrogen sulphide