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Air Pollution Air pollution is one of the most dangerous problems of our times. Problems caused by pollution can be local and minor because of the Earth's own ability to absorb pollutants. The industrialization of society, the introduction of motorized vehicles, the explosion of the population are factors sharpening the growing air pollution problem. Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter belong to pollutants found in most urban areas. These pollutants are dispersed throughout the world's atmosphere in concentrations high enough to gradually cause serious health problems. Serious health problems can occur quickly when air pollutants are concentrated.
Wichmann H. Erich, Heinrich J. Health Effects of High Level Exposure to Traditional Pollutants in East Germany: Review and Ongoing Research 4... This research describes interdependency between increasing level of suspended particulates in the air and airway diseases.
Particulates are particles found in the air, including dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets that are also unhealthy to breathe. People with asthma and chronic bronchitis and children are often very badly affected. Particulates increase prevalence of respiratory tract inflammation, mild anemia, retardation of skeletal maturation of children. East Germany has a high concentration of suspended particulates in comparison with West Germany. The most polluted parts of the country are industrialized areas which have frequent smog episodes. Ambient concentrations of automobile exhausts are higher in West Germany than in East Germany.
The higher prevalence of asthma and asthma symptoms, the allergic sensitization, all are due to automobile exhausts. Particulates produce pro-oxidative effects which can be mimicked by organic chemical components extracted from these particles. Besides, aliphatic, aromatic, and polar organic compounds cause changes in cells, which can lead to exacerbation of chronic ailment. The results suggest that adsorbed chemicals rather than the particles themselves mediate particulates, which affect the tissues. The research found that people in East Germany suffer from respiratory diseases more often than in West Part. But diseases like asthma, wheezing and allergy are prevailed in West part.
Air pollution caused by dust and particles provoke problems with foreign bodies in the eyes and an increased prevalence of conjunctivitis, trinities, cough, tonsillitis, and bronchitis, chronic irritation of the airways. A study shows that during smog episodes the level of mortality increase, especially among people with poor health. Most of chronic airway diseases and even mortality level are caused by air particulates. Beate Ritz and Fei Yu. The Effect of Ambient Carbon Monoxide on Low Birth Weight among Children Born in Southern California between 1989 and 1993 2. About 65 % of carbon monoxide is produced by motor vehicles.
It urban areas its contamination in air could reach 95 %. Incities, about two-thirds of the carbon monoxide emissions come from transportation sources, with the largest contribution coming from highway motor vehicles. The main souses of carbon monoxide pollution were discovered. A lot of pregnant women lived close to a major roadway and were more heavily exposed than those who lived farther away.
The most important indoor sources of carbon monoxide are generally gas- and wood-burning stoves and second-hand cigarette smoke, furnaces, boilers, space heaters, stove tops, hot water heaters, clothes dryers, wood stoves, fireplaces, tobacco smoking, propane appliances. Carbon monoxide gas is produced when fossil fuel burns incompletely because of insufficient oxygen The research displaces that high concentration of carbon monoxide in the air leads to low birth weight. It occurs because the direct toxic effects of carbon monoxide, generated by burning cigarettes, retard fetal growth. Carbon monoxide crosses the placental barrier and that the hemoglobin in fetal blood has 10 times more affinity for binding carbon monoxide than does adult hemoglobin. Exposure to higher levels of ambient carbon monoxide during the last trimester was associated with a significantly increased risk for low birth weight. Lee, Kiyoung, Xue, Jianping, Geyh, S.
Alison, Ozkaynak, Haluk. Nitrous Acid, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Ozone Concentrations in Residential Environments 3. The primary sources of it are motor vehicles, electric utilities, and other industrial, commercial, and residential sources that burn fuels. Home heaters and gas stoves can produce nitrogen dioxide inside homes. Nitrogen dioxide is produced by oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen during high-temperature fuel combustion. The research shows that average indoor nitrogen oxides concentration were significantly higher than outdoor concentrations.
The ratio of indoor to outdoor nitrogen dioxide levels was significantly higher in the mountain site, although indoor nitrogen dioxide concentrations were significantly higher in the valley site. The indoor and outdoor nitrogen dioxide ratio was higher in the houses with a gas range and more than 3 bedrooms. Epidemiological investigations have found an association between nitrogen dioxide exposures increased by indoor combustion sources and adverse respiratory health effects. Nitrogen dioxide can react with surface materials commonly present indoors.
Short-term exposure of nitrogen oxides cause increased respiratory illness in young children and harm lung function in people with respiratory illnesses. Long-term exposure may lead to increased susceptibility to respiratory infection and may cause alterations in the lung. Nitrogen oxides can cause inflammatory process and cancer in the human respiratory tract. It enhances the metabolic activation.
Cigarette smokers also are more afflicted by inflammation, bronchitis, and emphysema than nonsmokers. Children, people with lung diseases such as asthma, and people who work or exercise outside are susceptible to adverse effects such as damage to lung tissue and reduction in lung function. Balmes, R. John.
The Role of Ozone Exposure in the Epidemiology of Asthma 1. Ozone is the most widespread air pollutant and the main component of smog. Ozone is a respiratory irritant found during warn weather. The research shows that the frequency of asthma attacks following ozone exposures may be a more relevant. Epidemiological studies proved that ozone pollution increases the risk of asthma exacerbations. After ozone exposure inflammation and allergy are increased.
That is why it is very important to reduce human exposure to ozone. Asthma is characterized by symptoms like dyspnea, chest tightness, wheezing, and cough. The issue of whether persons with asthma are more susceptible to ozone-induced respiratory tract injury is of epidemiological interest because asthma is a common condition that appears to be increasing in terms of both prevalence and severity. The epidemiological database supporting the concept that air pollution can cause exacerbations of asthma is reasonably convincing, but the evidence linking ozone to asthma attacks is limited. The results of controlled human exposure studies proved that inhalation of ozone only causes respiratory symptoms. The major problem with this study is the inability to isolate the effect of a specific pollutant.
Ozone is the most widespread air pollutant. People with asthma are more at risk to unfavorable respiratory effects from ozone than healthy people under similar circumstances. Statistics says that in the United States asthma affects approximately 10 million people and, that is why the question of ozone pollution influence become urgent, being of public health importance. Long lasting impact of any air pollutant can lead to inflammation and even cancer. Air pollution needs to be reduced to prevent diseases mentioned above. References Balmes, R.
John. The Role of Ozone Exposure in the Epidemiology of Asthma Environmental Health Respective Journal, 101 (Suppl. 4), 1998, pp. 219 - 224. Beate Ritz and Fei Yu. The Effect of Ambient Carbon Monoxide on Low Birth Weight among Children Born in Southern California between 1989 and 1993.
Environmental Health Respective Journal, 107, 1999, pp. 17 - 25. [Online 7 Dec. 1998 ]. Lee, Kiyoung, Xue, Jianping, Geyh, S. Alison, Ozkaynak, Haluk. Nitrous Acid, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Ozone Concentrations in Residential Environments.
Environmental Health Respective Journal, 110, 2002, pp. 145 - 149. [Online 10 Jan. 2002 ]. Wichmann H. Erich, Heinrich J. Health Effects of High Level Exposure to Traditional Pollutants in East Germany: Review and Ongoing Research.
Environmental Health Respective Journal, 103, (Suppl 2), 1995, pp. 29 - 35.
Free research essays on topics related to: motor vehicles, low birth weight, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides
Research essay sample on Low Birth Weight Nitrogen Dioxide
