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Posts Tagged ‘Effects Of Air Pollution’

Everyone reacts differently to air pollution. Children, the elderly and those with heart or lung disease are most sensitive to the adverse health effects of air pollution. People with diabetes are also at greater risk because they are more prone to heart disease. Even Canadians who are relatively fit and healthy can experience symptoms when exercising or working outdoors if pollution levels are higher than usual.

This winter, pay attention to the air pollution readings in your area, even if the sky is blue and the air smells clean and fresh. Depending on the length of time you are exposed, your health status and the concentration of pollutants in your area, air pollution can make it harder to breathe, irritate your eyes, nose and throat and worsen chronic diseases such as heart disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma.

The Government of Canada is making it easier for Canadians and their families to plan their activities around the quality of the air in their communities. The new Air Quality Health Index is currently available in certain Canadian communities, with more to follow. The index measures three contaminants known to contribute to air pollution – ozone, fine particulates and nitrogen oxide – and gives out readings from one to 10 with health risks associated with each number. The higher the number, the greater the health risk.

This winter, take the guesswork out of planning your outdoor activities and see what the air quality is like in your area. The AQHI is available in parts of British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick with more areas to follow as implementation expands across the country. The index measures air quality on a scale from one to 10 and offers suggestions for modifying your activity to reduce your level of exposure to air pollution, depending on your risk factors. For more information on the AQHI, please visit www.airhealth.ca.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology discovered a link between itchy skin, irritated eyes, and headaches with certain types of pollution.

French researchers studied the air’s nitrogen dioxide, small particulate matter and ozone levels in urban areas surrounding Bordeaux. Bordeaux is an area in France where pollution levels are usually slightly higher than the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The research team collected medical case reports from SOS Medicins, a public health-care network that makes emergency house calls. They concentrated on the number of visits that are related to complaints of respiratory problems including tonsillitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, asthma, bronchitis, or cough, as well as conjunctivitis, skin rash, headaches and asthenia, a conditioned characterized by general feelings of weakness that are usually the result of allergies.

The researchers noted a 1.5 percent and 2.6 percent increase in the number of visits for upper and lower respiratory diseases respectively, a few days after particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide levels rose.

But what is most telling is the increase in doctor visits for other disease. On days when particulate matter was highest, visits for skin rash or conjunctivitis increased by 3.2 percent, while headaches and asthenia rose 3.5 percent.

When ozone levels rose, visits for skin rash or conjunctivitis increased by 3 percent, and 1.7 percent for headaches and asthenia.

Increased levels of nitrogen oxide caused a 2.8 percent increase in visits for headaches and weakness.

We know that air pollution affects the heart and lungs. But, these slight effects of air pollution on human health will likely affect more of us as it worsens.

“Once you start looking at the entire body, we start to realize this is not as benign as we think,” says Neil Kao, MD, an allergist at the Allergic Disease and Asthma Center in Greenville, SC, and a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. “It’s not just bad for your heart—it’s bad for everything.”

Whereas allergy to pollen can trigger obvious reactions like sneezing, the subtle impact of pollution may not be evident immediately. Kao recommends staying indoors during sunny-but-polluted days. “As much as I promote a healthy, happy lifestyle with lots of exercise,” he says, “there are certain days just can’t reset your immune system.”

If polluted air is affecting your health, here are some things you can do to avoid it:

Check the air forecast –stay on top of high-hazard air pollution days.

Stay indoors – staying inside your home helps, but only if the air inside is less polluted than the air outside. Air washers, filters and the like, can help rid the air of particulate matters. However, they are useless against nitrogen oxide, ozone and other harmful gasses. So on days when pollution levels are particularly high, keep you windows shut; and on days when the air is clearer, let your home air out to decrease indoor toxins.

Wear a mask – breathing through masks with an N-95 rating can help cut help lower pollution-related headaches. Wearing protective clothing like long-sleeved shirts and sunglasses when outdoors will keep particulate matter off our skin and out of your eyes.

It cannot be denied that air pollution creates a big impact in our lives, most especially on our health and the environment. If the world we live in continues to worsen in the years to come, I cannot imagine anymore what our grandchildren will make of this world. There are a lot of negative effects of air pollution on environment. Let us discuss one by one what are they and how we may be able to address every effects of air pollution.

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Since air pollution is part of global warming, it is safe to say that it can cause flooding due to the melting of ice and warming of the Earth more than the normal. It can surely affect our ecosystem as well as the quality of life of our plants and animals.

Have you seen all the smogs in highly populated countries? It is an indication that there exists a not so desirable amount of air pollution. It can also contribute to the formation of acid rain which is not safe to people and other living things.  Not only does it affects the environment but also affects much the health of every individual on this planet.

One cannot help but be concerned with the increasing problem of air pollution. If we continue to be like this and destroy our environment, definitely everything will be destroyed even us.  The food that we eat, the water we drink, the air that we breathe and everything else around us will all be destroyed. If you want all of this to happen then do not do anything but if you want to save Mother Earth then do something to save the planet from destruction.

Effects of air pollution on environment can be distressing and detrimental then do something to make everything right. Do it now and do it fast.

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Why is there a need for us to solve a problem like air pollution? Try to look at the world around you, what do you see? What do you feel? What do you smell? Everything around us is affected by air pollution. Say good bye to the days where you can enjoy fresh air and feel great about it.

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It cannot be denied that there are problems brought about by air pollution, harmful effects of air pollution to be specific. Most of these harmful effects are health related. Yes, air pollution can cause detrimental effects to your health. You have to see to it that you make means in order to avoid all of these effects brought about air pollution.

Due to the presence of chemicals, gases and other harmful particles present in air pollution, it can cause respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis and lung cancer. It can also cause bad effects for a person with a heart disease.  Not only does air pollution causes harmful health effects but mostly it affects our ecosystem.

It can kill plants, trees and animals which are living in highly polluted areas. It also destroys our ozone layer and can bring detrimental effects which are not good for the environment and affects our quality of life. Our world is no longer a safe place to live in; it became a dangerous place for elderly and newborn babies. Air pollution can affect the quality of the air we breathe, the water and even the rain that we are experiencing.

We must do something about this air pollution before it is too late for us. Let us not wait for the time wherein we cannot do anything to stop the harmful effects of air pollution. Make our world a better place to live in. Make it something of importance. Do your part.

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Air pollution is a problem that we cannot deny. It is a pressing problem that affects every human being on this Earth. Although there have been efforts to tackle the problem of air pollution, it is not enough to finally end the problem.

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It is understandable; you cannot easily solve or provide solution to a problem like air pollution. So, how will you know that there is such a problem like pollution? How will you know that there is such presence of air pollution in the area that you are in? You must test for the air quality and air particles.

By having an air pollution test you will be able to know what are the pollutants present and what you need to do in order to get rid or lessen the presence of pollutants in your area. We all know that air pollution causes detrimental effects and will most likely effect our ecosystem. Thus we need to be vigilant and be able to know more about air pollution. This is no joke and no laughing matter.

We need to know what kind of air we are breathing, how we could prevent health problems to occur and how we may be able to make our own area pollution free. It may not be an easy thing to do but hey, if we try to do our part and make this world a healthy and safe place to live in then we are good to go.

By having air pollution test, the government can prevent the population from contacting diseases brought about by air pollution by proving smog warnings, acts and laws against air pollution and make projects to counter the effects of air pollution. In this way people will be vigilant and will take part in making this world a better place to live in.

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Scientists have estimated that every day, an average person inhales about 20,000 liters of air.  Every time we breathe, we risk inhaling dangerous chemicals that have found their way into the air. Air pollution includes all contaminants found in the atmosphere.  These dangerous substances can be either in the form of gases or particles. Air pollution can be found both outdoors and indoors.  Pollutants can be trapped inside buildings, causing indoor pollution that lasts for a long time. The sources of air pollution are both natural and human-based.  As one might expect, humans have been producing increasing amounts of pollutants as time has progressed, and they now account for the majority of pollutants released into the air.

Air pollution has been a problem throughout history.  Even in Ancient Rome people complained about smoke put into the atmosphere. The effects of air pollution are diverse and numerous.  Air pollution can have serious consequences for the health of human beings, and also severely affects natural ecosystems. Because it is located in the atmosphere, air pollution is able to travel far off places easily.  As a result, air pollution is a global problem and has been the subject of both global cooperation and conflict. Some areas now suffer more than others from air pollution.  Cities with large numbers of automobiles or those that use great quantities of coal often suffer most severely from problems of air pollution.

 Ancient Greek and Roman thoughts began the environmental sciences.  Major philosophers advanced differing views that affected others and shield their views for years to come. The early Greeks searched for a reasonable understanding of nature.  The ideas they developed influenced Europe in the future. Thales of Miletus, the founder of the Ionian school, was the initiator of Greek philosophy on the environmental sciences.  The Ionian school hoped to discover the nature of the universe, and how it came about.  According to Thales, everything was composed of water and the combination of the sun and water was the source of life.

Empedocles (c.493-c.433 BC) argued that the universe was composed of four elements: earth, air, fire, and water, which combined in different ways and proportions to produce different results and products. In his Memorabilia, the Greek writer, Xenophon (c.428-c.354 BC) contends that the planet earth exists for people and the climate of the earth, and the living creatures on it, are for the benefit of humanity.  Xenophon says ‘The earth was created by a god for people.’ His work later influenced Christianity. In Rome, Cicero (106-43 BC) wrote that nature should be controlled by humans.  According to him the earth was designed for humanity, as was each different species. 

In respect of the theory of the four elements, the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) added a fifth one: the heavens.  After breaking with Plato (429-347 BC), Aristotle thoroughly investigated the natural world.  He thought that the earth could be divided into sections defined by the amount of heat each received, and that people could only live in the more inhabitable areas. Aristotle accepted the theory that underground wind caused volcanoes and earthquakes.  He understood the origins of rivers and believed in a pattern of rainfall. Teleology, which explained things in terms of their purpose, was a major part of Aristotle’s theory.  It caused him to heavily research reproduction. Aristotle’s Historian Animalium details over 500 species, examining common characteristics between the species. Throughout the ancient periods, interest in botany grew because of its relation to medicine.  Many philosophers advanced varying theories that would affect Europe in later years.

Today, there are a vast number of environmental problems, all with unique causes and consequences.  Some people have said that Christianity is one of the primary causes of the degradation of the environment. Lynn White has said that the modern destruction of the environment can be attributed to Christianity. According to White the Biblical belief that nature, seen as inferior to people, can be controlled by man, has brought a lack of respect for the sacredness of the environment. White would also argue that Christianity is greatly responsible for the advent of Western science and technology.  Modern technology has clearly been one of the main sources of environmental difficulties.

The Judeo-Christian notion of nature is that it is not sacred like God.  Man, however, is believed by this group to be made in God’s image, and can therefore shape nature as God would. There are some who would disagree with this application of Christianity.  Those who believe in “stewardship” would say that people must respect and not destroy nature, not overexploit natural resources, and allow other animals to live in nature as well. Many important theological thinkers would agree with this version of Christianity.  Calvin said that man is the steward of God’s earth, and has no right to exploit and destroy it.  Also, St. Thomas Aquinas said that man had some responsibility towards animals. Christianity also favors the environment in some respects.  To the benefit of the environment, the religion encourages caring for other people, including those of the future, and some level of respect for the environment.

There are many different chemical substances that contribute to air pollution.  These chemicals come from a variety of sources. Among the many types of air pollutants are nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxides, and organic compounds that can evaporate and enter the atmosphere. Air pollutants have sources that are both natural and human.  Now, humans contribute substantially more to the air pollution problem. Forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion, pollen dispersal, evaporation of organic compounds, and natural radioactivity are all among the natural causes of air pollution.

Usually, natural air pollution does not occur in abundance in particular locations.  The pollution is spread around throughout the world, and as a result, poses many threats. Though some pollution comes from these natural sources, most pollution is the result of human activity.  The biggest causes are the use of fuels in power plants and automobiles that combust fuel.  Combined, these two sources are responsible for about 90% of all air pollution in the United States. Some cities suffer severely because of heavy industrial use of chemicals that cause air pollution.  Places like Mexico City and Sao Paulo have some of the most deadly pollution levels in the world.

Air pollution is responsible for major health effects.  Every year, the health of countless people is ruined or endangered by air pollution. Many different chemicals in the air affect the human body in negative and destructive ways.  Just how sick people will get depends on what chemicals they are exposed to, in what concentrations, and for how long. Studies have estimated that the number of people killed annually in the US alone due to environmental pollution-related diseases could be over 50,000. Older people are highly vulnerable to diseases induced by air pollution.  Those with heart or lung disorders are under additional risk.  Children and infants are also at serious risk. Because people are exposed to so many potentially dangerous pollutants, it is often hard to know exactly which pollutants are responsible for causing sickness.  Also, because a mixture of different pollutants can intensify sickness, it is often difficult to isolate those pollutants that are at fault.

Many diseases could be caused by air pollution without their becoming apparent for a long time.  Diseases such as bronchitis, lung cancer, and heart disease may all eventually appear in people exposed to air pollution. Air pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide also have harmful effects on vital systems.  They can kill plants and trees by destroying their leaves, and can kill animals, especially fish in highly polluted rivers. Air pollution has many disastrous effects that need to be checked and curbed prudently.  In order to accomplish this, scientists, environmentalists, and governments, are using or testing a variety of methods aimed at reducing pollution. There are two main types of pollution control. Input control involves preventing a problem before it occurs, or at least limiting the effects the process will produce. Five major input control methods exist. 

Output control, the opposite method, seeks to fix the problems caused by air pollution.  This usually means cleaning up an area that has been damaged by pollution. Input controls are usually more effective than output controls.  Output controls are also more expensive, making them less desirable to tax payers and polluting industries. Current air pollution control efforts are not all highly effective.  In wealthier countries, industries are often able to shift to methods that decrease air pollution.  In the United States, for example, air pollution control laws have been successful in stopping air pollution levels from rising.  However, in developing countries and even in countries where pollution is strictly regulated, much more needs to be done.

Over the past years, human energy consumption has risen dramatically.  The rise in use of energy resources has meant increasing costs and the depletion of non-renewable supplies.  These and other factors have led people to try to use energy in a more efficient manner. The First Law of Thermodynamics says that energy can be transferred between forms, but not created or destroyed.  The Second Law of Thermodynamics says that usage of heat to perform work inevitably causes some heat to be lost to the surrounding environment.  As a result, perfect efficiency in

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