Major Pollutants

Pollutant	Causes	Effects on health and environment
Ozone	Formed when nitrogen and volatile organic compounds mix in sunlight. Nitrogen oxide comes from burning fossil fuels.	Frequent asthma attacks, sore throats, coughs and breathing difficulties. Hurts plants and crops.
Particulate matter	Particulate matter can be divided into coarse particles and fine particles. Formed form sources like road dust, sea spray, and construction. Fine particles are formed when fossil fuels are burned in automobiles and power plants	Can enter the lungs and cause health problems. Including frequent asthma attacks and respiratory problems
Lead	Comes from cars in areas where unleaded gasoline is not used. May be formed in power plants and  other industrial sources but is also contained in lead paint which may pollute water which is transported in lead pipes.	Toxic air pollutants can cause cancer. Some toxic air pollutants can also cause birth defects. Other effects depend on the pollutant, but can include skin and eye irritation and breathing problems.
Greenhouse gases	Carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas. It comes from the burning of fossil fuels in cars, power plants, houses, and industry. Methane is released during the processing of fossil fuels, and also comes from natural sources like cows and rice paddies. Nitrous oxide comes from industrial sources and decaying plants.	The greenhouse effect can lead to changes in the climate of the planet. Some of these changes might include more temperature extremes, higher sea levels, changes in forest composition, and damage to land near the coast. Human health might be affected by diseases that are related to temperature or by damage to land and water.