The term smog is a word that is formed by smoke that means smoke and fog that is related to fog. The Royal Spanish Academy does not include this term in its dictionary, but adds it as smog.
Smog is a kind of combination of smoke, fog and various particles that are found in the atmosphere of places with high levels of pollution. This is a phenomenon that occurs when the air stays in the same place for a long time and it is when the polluting particles remain floating in the lower layers of the atmosphere, thanks to their higher density.
The sun's rays, together with the channeling of volatile organic particles and nitrogen oxides from car smoke, generate what is known as photochemical smog. It also leads to the formation of peroxyacyl nitrate and ozone, which causes irritation of the respiratory system and discomfort to the eyes.
Usually in large cities where many vehicles circulate and intense industrial activity is that this type of phenomenon is generated. Sunny days are ideal for smog to intensify, as the upper layers of the air are thicker. Furthermore, where mountains also exist, smog is much more common.
Some cities that suffer from this problem are Mexico City, São Paulo in Brazil, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Lima in Peru, Santiago de Chile, New York, Los Angeles and Beijing.
The fact that it is such a common phenomenon in many cities, is of great importance to level global, as are various consequences of smog. One of them is that it can generate problems in the respiratory system, especially to those individuals who suffer from asthma, if the intensity of this disease is very strong it may be impossible to resist a whole day in a place where smog is an indivisible part of the landscape.
It is necessary to suffer a previous disorder so that smog can affect breathing, since it damages the membranes of the lungs and this causes discomfort, pain, irritation in the throat and cough, among others.
