Carbon monoxide is a colorless gas found in small amounts in Earth's atmosphere. It is toxic to humans and other oxygen-breathing organisms.
Air pollution affects all things. It is harmful to our health, and it impacts the environment. Greenhouse gas pollution affects the entire planet.
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Air pollutants such as ground-level ozone and particulate matter are causing a decline in human health, and are especially harmful to the respiratory system.
Poor air quality due to wildfires in the western United States caused an increase in ozone damage on plants in our Colorado gardens. Read more to learn how ozone damages plants.
How is air pollution affected by weather? Some types of pollution are worse in the summer heat, while others are worse in cold winter weather.
Resource Type: Information
Hydrocarbons are a class of chemicals that include several important gases.
Molecular nitrogen is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere. Nitrogen atoms are also found in other important atmospheric gases.
Nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide are two gases whose molecules are made of nitrogen and oxygen atoms. Nitrogen dioxide is a major air pollutant.
Oxygen is an important gas in the air we breathe. About 21% of Earth's atmosphere is oxygen.
Ozone is an unusual type of oxygen molecule. Ozone in the troposphere is harmful, while stratospheric ozone is beneficial.