Impact of air pollution on health

The magnitude of the London fog of 1952, which affected such a large number of people, was the first incident that made people aware of the damage done to the atmosphere due to industrialization. The SPM levels increased manifold and resulted in over 4000 deaths.

Indoor air pollution can be particularly hazardous to health as it is released in close proximity to people. It is stated that a pollutant released indoors is many times more likely to reach the lung than that released outdoors. In the developing countries a fairly large portion of the population is dependent on biomass for their energy requirements. These include wood, charcoal, agricultural residue, and animal waste. Open fires used for cooking and heating are commonly found in the household both in the rural and the urban areas. The stove is often at floor level, adding to the risk of accident and the hygiene factor. In addition, they are often not fitted with a chimney to remove the pollutants. In such households the children and women are most likely to be affected, as they are the group that spends more time indoors. The main pollutant in this environment is the SPM. In fact, death due to indoor air pollution, mainly particulate matters, in the rural areas of India are one of the highest in the world. Many of the deaths are due to acute respiratory infections in children; others are due to cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases in adults. If emissions are high and ventilation is poor, household use of coal and biomass can severely affect the indoor air quality.

Pollutant emissions per meal are also very high compared to those of other fuels. Household use of fossil fuel is also fairly common in the developing countries, particularly coal—both bituminous and lignite. These are particularly damaging as they burn inefficiently and emit considerable quantities of air pollutants. If emissions are high and ventilation poor, then the exposure levels to the gases emitted are far higher. The most harmful of the gases and agents that are emitted are particulate matter, carbon dioxide, polycyclic organic matter, and formaldehyde. The indoor concentrations of these are far higher than the acceptable levels and is cause for concern in rural areas.

Air Quality & Your Health
Have you ever wondered what?s in the air we breathe and how this air affects your health?
The quality of the air, both indoors and outside, has a direct impact on the our health. The average person breathes approximately 8 million cubic feet of air throughout a lifetime. That?s enough air to fill over 40 giant blimps! It?s no wonder there?s a direct link between the air we breathe and the overall health of our bodies.

Air pollution affects everyone, but children and the elderly are especially sensitive to its harmful affects. Individuals with heart or other respiratory illnesses are especially susceptible to the effects of air pollution, but even our strongest athletes are vulnerable to poor air quality.

What we often consider as ?moderate? air pollution can cause permanent damage to children?s lungs, limiting what would otherwise be their full, normal development. According to the California Air Resources Board, dirty air is responsible for slowing down the lung function growth rate of children by up to 10%. Research also found that children who live in the smoggier parts of Southern California experience slower lung growth than those who breathe cleaner air.

Many different kinds of air pollutants are released into the sky and captured in our lungs with every breath we take. Each of these pollutants affects our body in a specific way and each can cause serious health problems. The listing below explains where some of the main outdoor pollutants come from, how they impact our bodies and ways we can reduce that pollution!

Pollutant: Ozone (O3)
Source: Produced when gases or vapors created by cars, solvents, factories, and pesticides mix and react in the presence of sunlight.
Health Effects: Breathing difficulties, lung tissue damage, coughing and chest pains.
Ways to Help: Reduce and limit emissions created by cars, consumer products, and some types of business and manufacturing activities.

Pollutant: Particulate Matter (PM10) and Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5)
Source: Power plants, dust, construction, burning, cars, industry, and equipment.
Health Effects: Coughs, phlegm, wheezing, asthma, cancer, lung damage, heart attacks, and premature death.
Ways to Help: Control dust sources, industrial emissions, and residential burning. Reduce emissions from motor vehicles, equipment, and industry. Conserve energy.

Pollutant: Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Source: Cars, heavy construction and farming equipment, and residential heating.
Health Effects: Chest pain in heart patients, headaches, and reduced mental alertness.
Ways to Help: Control motor vehicle and industrial emissions. Use oxygenated gasoline during winter months. Conserve energy.

Pollutant: Nitrogen Dioxide(NO2)
Source: See CO
Health Effects: Lung irritation and damage.
Ways to Help: Control emissions from motor vehicles and industrial sources. Conserve energy.

Pollutant: Lead (Pb)
Source: Metal smelters, resource recovery, leaded gasoline, and deterioration of lead paint.
Health Effects: Learning disabilities, brain and kidney damage.
Ways to Help: Control metal smelters. No lead in gasoline. Replace leaded paint with non-lead substitute.

Pollutant: Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
Source: Coal or oil burning power plants and industries, refineries, and diesel engines.
Health Effects: Constricts air passages and reacts with lung tissue. Increases lung disease and breathing problems for asthmatics.
Ways to Help: Reduce use of high sulfur fuels. Conserve energy.

Pollutant: Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
Source: Geothermal power plants, petroleum production and refining, sewer gas.
Health Effects: Rotten egg smell, headache and breathing difficulties.
Ways to Help: Control emissions from geothermal power plants, petroleum production and refining, sewers, and sewage treatment plants.

In addition to the pollutants described above, several hundred other airborne substances are known to cause serious health problems. Known toxic, hazardous or allergenic air pollutants range from benzene vapors, to the particulate matter in diesel exhaust, to radon, formaldehyde, mold spores and dust mite debris found in indoor air.

Indoor air pollution can also have significant impacts on public health. Especially since on average, Californians spend 87% of their time indoors and the concentrations of many pollutants indoors exceed those outdoors. Clean indoor air quality is a key factor for our respiratory health.