What happens to air pollutants after they are emitted to the atmosphere?
The pollutants are transported, diluted, and modified chemically or physically in the atmosphere. Some major pollutants, called secondary pollutants, are actually formed in the atmosphere from precursors (primary pollutants). Eventually, the contaminants reach a receptor, where they impact health, property, visibility, climate, or some other part of the environment. However, some of the pollutants are removed from the atmosphere by natural processes and never reach a receptor.
