Science Common Sense

190 - How do chemical reactions affect our environment?

Chemical reactions can affect our environment in both good and bad ways.

Some bad effects are: - Air pollution: When chemicals like gasoline or coal burn, they release yucky pollutants into the air we breathe, causing smog and harming plants and animals. - Water pollution: Chemical reactions from factories and farms can ruin our rivers and oceans, killing fish and other aquatic life. - Climate change: Some chemical reactions, like the burning of fossil fuels, release greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming.

But there are also good effects: - Cleaning pollutants: Scientists use chemical reactions to clean polluted air and water by breaking down yucky chemicals. - Creating new materials: Chemical reactions help us make new things like medicines, plastics, and even solar panels. - Decomposition: Chemical reactions help break down organic waste, like food scraps and leaves, which creates nutrient-rich soil for plants.

So, it's essential to understand how chemical reactions work and how we can use them to help our environment.