- 2073 Magh · 2 marks
Carbon dioxide and atmospheric pollution
Short answer
CO₂ traps infrared radiation as a greenhouse gas, causing global warming, ice melt, and sea-level rise. It also dissolves in oceans forming carbonic acid, lowering pH and threatening corals and shellfish. Elevated CO₂ concentration is primarily from burning fossil fuels.
How does carbon dioxide cause atmospheric pollution?
Carbon dioxide is not toxic, but its excess in the atmosphere is a pollutant because:
- Greenhouse effect: CO₂ absorbs infrared radiation emitted by the earth and traps heat, leading to global warming. About 60 % of the enhanced greenhouse effect is due to CO₂.
- Rising concentration: burning of coal, oil and wood, cement production and deforestation have raised it from about 280 ppm (before industrialisation) to over 420 ppm today.
- Consequences: melting of ice, sea-level rise and climate change.
- Ocean acidification: dissolved CO₂ forms carbonic acid (CO₂ + H₂O ⇌ H₂CO₃), lowering ocean pH and harming corals and shellfish.
- In very high concentration in closed spaces it displaces oxygen and causes suffocation.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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