Air is an important resource that is needed to sustain life.  As human beings clean air is vital for our health and well-being and is required by us virtually every minute of the day.  Because of the importance of clean air to our health, the environment, and even our economy, Miami-Dade County DERM is working diligently to protect and manage our air resources as efficiently as possible.

Our Air
One of the most important components of air is oxygen. Human beings and other animals use oxygen to convert the “fuels” in our bodies into energy that we use.  Carbon dioxide is then produced by us as a by-product of respiration, as we convert the stored energy in our bodies into the energy for our activities.

In contrast, plants will actually take-in carbon dioxide and release oxygen as a by-product during the day, as they use a process called photosynthesis to convert energy from sunlight into energy stored as simple sugars.

Air is a mixture of many different gases. (See: Chemical Composition of Air )
In addition to the main components, there may be many other chemicals in the air that we breathe, but these are typically a very small percentage of the volume.

• Kids! Let KoKo the Chamelion teach you about the difference between Clean & Dirty Air.