Smog is a type of air pollutant.

The word "smog" was made in the early 20th century as

a portmanteau of the words smoke and fog to refer to smoky fog.
[1]
The word was then intended to
refer to what was sometimes known as pea soup fog, a familiar and serious problem inLondon from
the 19th century to the mid 20th century. This kind of smog is caused by the burning of large
amounts of coal within a city; this smog contains soot particulates from smoke, sulfur dioxide and
other components. Modern smog, as found for example in Los Angeles, is a type of air
pollution derived from vehicular emission from internal combustion engines and industrial fumes that
react in the atmosphere with sunlight to form secondary pollutants that also combine with the
primary emissions to form photochemical smog. The atmospheric pollution levels of Los Angeles,
Mexico City and other cities are increased by inversion that traps pollution close to the ground. It is
usually highly toxic to humans and can cause severe sickness, shortened life or death.

Etymology [edit]
Coinage of the term "smog" is generally attributed to Dr. Henry Antoine Des Voeux in his 1905
paper, "Fog and Smoke" for a meeting of the Public Health Congress. The July 26, 1905 edition of
the London newspaper Daily Graphic quoted Des Voeux, "He said it required no science to see that
there was something produced in great cities which was not found in the country, and that was
smoky fog, or what was known as 'smog.'"
[2]
The following day the newspaper stated that "Dr. Des
Voeux did a public service in coining a new word for the London fog." "Smog" also appears in a
January 19, 1893, Los Angeles Times article and is attributed to "a witty English writer.

Causes [edit]
Coal[edit]
Coal fires, used to heat individual buildings or in a power-producing plant, can emit significant clouds
of smoke that contributes to smog. Air pollution from this source has been report in England since
the Middle Ages.
[3]
London, in particular, was notorious up through the mid-20th century for its coal-
caused smogs, which were nicknamed 'pea-soupers.' Air pollution of this type is still a problem in
areas that generate significant smoke from burning coal, as witnessed by the 2013 autumnal smog
in Harbin, China, which closed roads, schools, and the airport.
Transportation emissions
Traffic emissions such as from trucks, buses, and automobiles also contribute.
[4]
Airborne by-
products from vehicle exhaust systems cause air pollution and are a major ingredient in the creation
of smog in some large cities.
[5][6][7][8]

The major culprits are from transportation sources are carbon monoxide (CO),
[9][10]
nitrogen oxides
(NO and NO
x
),
[11][12][13]
volatile organic compounds,
[10][11]
sulfur dioxide,
[10]
and
hydrocarbons.
[10]
These molecules react with sunlight, heat, ammonia, moisture, and other
compounds to form the noxious vapors, ground level ozone, and particles that comprise smog.
[10][11]

Photochemical smog
Photochemical smog was first described in the 1950s. It is the chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen
oxides and volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, which leavesairborne
particles and ground-level ozone.
[14]
This noxious mixture of air pollutants can include the following:
Aldehydes
Nitrogen oxides, such as nitrogen dioxide
Peroxyacyl nitrates
Tropospheric ozone
Volatile organic compounds
All of these harsh chemicals are usually highly reactive and oxidizing. Photochemical smog is
therefore considered to be a problem of modern industrialization. It is present in all modern cities,
but it is more common in cities with sunny, warm, dry climates and a large number of motor
vehicles.
[15]
Because it travels with the wind, it can affect sparsely populated areas as well.


Characteristic coloration for smog in California in the beige cloud bank behind the Golden Gate Bridge. The brown
coloration is due to the NOx in the photochemical smog.
Natural causes
An erupting volcano can also emit high levels of sulphur dioxide along with a large quantity of
particulate matter; two key components to the creation of smog. However, the smog created as a
result of a volcanic eruption is often known as vog to distinguish it as a natural occurrence.
The radiocarbon content of some plant life has been linked to the distribution of smog in some areas.
For example, the creosote bush in the Los Angeles area has been shown to have an effect on smog
distribution that is more than fossil fuel combustion alone.
[16]