ABSTRACT
Man’s activities release many substances into the atmosphere, which dilutes and transports pollutants, and these are deposited somewhere. Burning of fossil fuels injects sulphur oxides, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter into the atmosphere. This chapter discusses these pollutants, with emphasis on atmospheric particles and their long-range transport by the atmosphere. The atmosphere is a great resource of vital importance for life. It serves as a transport medium and reservoir of oxygen and carbon dioxide; it filters radiation from the sun to allow biological life; it helps to balance the temperature of the Earth. Concentrations of particulate matter in the atmosphere vary depending on meteorological parameters that affect both production and transportation of particles. A few hundred million tons of sulphur annually passes through the atmosphere as part of the sulphur biogeochemical cycle. Sulphur occurs naturally in water, soils, and biological material, and a continuous interplay between these media takes place.
