Probably, in general terms, every modern student can answer what this could. And if we ask him a similar question, we will most likely hear about the following: “Smoke is called haze over the city, which occurs as a result of excessive air pollution by exhaust gases.”
Is it really? Let's try to find out the nature and causes of the appearance of this type of precipitation from a scientific point of view.
What is smog? What is the nature of its occurrence?
The name of this phenomenon, which first appeared in London several decades ago, has purely English roots. It happened when two nouns “smoke” were added, which in translation into Russian means “smoke” and “fog” - “fog”.
This type of precipitation is typical for regions with very polluted air. A feature is the presence in the atmosphere of a large percentage of foreign particles on which the vapor condenses. It is believed that the main culprits in the emergence of smog are the abundance of transport on the roads and certain weather conditions.
What is smog? Why is it dangerous?
Probably, it is unlikely that anyone will argue with the fact that living in cities for which he could become a phenomenon almost commonplace, risky and quite dangerous for human life. By the way, it is the bad ecology that doctors consider guilty of the pallor of the skin of local residents. The whole point is not a lack of vitamins, as many believe. In megacities, tanning is simply unrealistic, because smog, mixing with smoke and dust, does everything possible to prevent sunlight from entering the earth.
But that is not all. Most likely, residents of megalopolises noticed that lately our cities in winter have been more and more often threatened by heavy snowfalls, and showers have become almost a common occurrence. And this is no coincidence. Due to the fact that the air contains a huge amount of various kinds of small solid particles, it produces many times more droplets or snowflakes than, say, in rural areas, which means more clouds and precipitation as a result.
Of course, it is hardly possible to defend against all the costs of urbanization. Remember the recent smog in Moscow? It was during that period that the number of patients with complaints of profuse lacrimation, annoying barking cough and frequent holding of breath increased in the hospitals of the capital. But that is not all. If harmful particles nevertheless get into our body, then their neutralization occurs in the liver, which means that the body is poisoned deep inside.
What is smog? His examples in the world
Unfortunately, in the modern world, when the current environmental situation leaves much to be desired in many parts of the world, smog is not such a rare occurrence.
For example, a wet type of precipitation of this type was characteristic of the capital of Great Britain and some other parts of this country about 100 years ago. And at that time the guilty in his education were, as you know, not cars at all. Around the 12-13th century, in this state, residents heated their homes exclusively with coal, polluting the environment more and more. As you know, fogs for a given area are not at all uncommon. Particles of combustible fuel mixed with heavy rainfall, forming an impenetrable and destructive for the health of residents haze - London smog. This kind of heating was, after all, banned by King Edward under pain of the death penalty.
A photochemical smog was first seen in Los Angeles. According to the point of view of modern scientists, it is formed in the upper atmosphere only in the summer and under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Industrial emissions, when exposed to sunlight, form more and more new, and often more toxic products.
