Air Pollution Notes

Effects of Air Pollutants

- more deaths from respiratory disease are found in areas with higher air pollution

- higher number of people with common colds where air pollution is higher

- people have poor respiratory function in areas of high air pollution

- when air pollution is high, there are more hospital admissions for allergies, breathing difficulty, and heart disease

- long term exposure to air pollution is known to damage lung tissue

Diseases Associated with Air Pollution

- an estimated $110 B in annual health care costs and 130,000 deaths per year in North America

- made worse by the amount of time we spend indoors and the chemicals in our environment

Chronic Bronchitis

- tiny hairs in the bronchial tubes are damaged

- can't sweep mucus out and the mucus interferes with gas exchange

- symptoms - shortness of breath, coughing

Bronchial Asthma

- bronchial tubes swell and narrows the air passage

- extra mucus is produced

- symptoms - shortness of breath, can lead to asthma attack

Emphysema

- air sacs in lungs become stiff

- they are unable to exchange gases so breathing is difficult

- symptoms - shortness of breath, breathing difficulty

Pneumonia and other infections

- tend to occur more often in high air pollution

- the build up of mucus in the lungs traps bacteria which causes infections

Lung Cancer

- inhaled smoke and other pollutants cause cells in the lungs and respiratory tract to become cancerous

- some can break away and develop tumors elsewhere in the body

Pollutants

Carcinogens

- chemicals or other agents that cause cancer

- some require long term exposure to be cancer causing

- asbestos, benzene, arsenic, vinyl chloride, radiation

- tobacco smoke causes over 3,000 deaths per year in non-smokers

Respiratory Irritants

- small chemicals that irritate the lining of the lungs

- includes sulfates, nitrates, ozone, cigarette smoke, other smoke, dust

Particulates

- very small airborne particles that can get dep into the lung tissue

- over 60,000 deaths per year

- examples are dust and smoke

Carbon monoxide (CO)

- this gas is created during the combustion of fossil fuels

- it is absorbed by the blood

- combines with hemoglobin; stops hemoglobin from carrying oxygen to all cells of the body

- causes fatigue, dizziness, impaired judgment, and eventually death

Mercury

- absorbed by the body and stored in the blood

- present in water ecosystems because of leaching and use by humans

- becomes toxic by interfering with the nervous system and kidneys

- leads to insanity, nervous disorders, and kidney failure

Lead

- interferes with nervous system and development of children. Very dangerous for small children and pregnant women

- source used to be leaded gasoline and paint

- causes brain damage, mental retardation, kidney disorder