Problems Caused By Air Pollution Some people think that air pollution is not harming the earth or the people, but it is doing worse, by killing the earth and getting people sick. "Air pollutants," according to Gay, "are known to cause respiratory diseases, cancer, and other serious illnesses" (12). Air pollution not only threatens the health and life of humans but also causes damage to the environment (Gay 13). First, air pollution causes a great deal of health problems. Wanting clean air is a good reason because air that is polluted can damage human health (Edelson 25). In the United States many health problems