Air Pollution and Your Air Pollution and Your HealthHealth

Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science

Spring 2013Spring 2013

Air PollutionAir Pollution

Air pollution can cause Air pollution can cause serious health problems, serious health problems, especially for people who are especially for people who are very young, very old, or who very young, very old, or who have heart or lung problems.have heart or lung problems.

Air pollution intensifies the Air pollution intensifies the effects of existing diseases effects of existing diseases such as emphysema, heart such as emphysema, heart disease, and lung cancerdisease, and lung cancer

Short Term Effects of Air Short Term Effects of Air PollutionPollution

Short-term effects of air Short-term effects of air pollution on peoplepollution on people’’s health s health range from minor headaches to range from minor headaches to more serious bronchitis and more serious bronchitis and pneumoniapneumonia

Air Pollution can also make Air Pollution can also make asthma and emphysema worse asthma and emphysema worse for certain individuals.for certain individuals.

Many short-term effects are Many short-term effects are reversible if exposure to air reversible if exposure to air pollution decreases.pollution decreases.

Long-Term Effects of Air Long-Term Effects of Air PollutionPollution

Long-term effects on Long-term effects on health include health include emphysema, lung emphysema, lung cancer, and heart cancer, and heart disease.disease.

Exposure to air pollution may worsen Exposure to air pollution may worsen medical conditions suffered by older people medical conditions suffered by older people and may damage the lungs of children.and may damage the lungs of children.

Indoor Air PollutionIndoor Air Pollution

Often the air quality inside a Often the air quality inside a building is worse than the air building is worse than the air quality outsidequality outside

Harmful compounds can be Harmful compounds can be found in carpets, building found in carpets, building materials, paints and furniture materials, paints and furniture – especially when they are new– especially when they are new

To best maintain the air quality indoors you To best maintain the air quality indoors you should identify and remove the sources of should identify and remove the sources of harmful compoundsharmful compounds

Mixing outdoor air with indoor air, is also Mixing outdoor air with indoor air, is also necessary for good air quality.necessary for good air quality.

Sick-Building SyndromeSick-Building Syndrome

Sick-building syndromeSick-building syndrome is a set of is a set of symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, eye symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, eye irritation, and dizziness, that may affect irritation, and dizziness, that may affect workers in modern, airtight office workers in modern, airtight office buildings. buildings.

Sick-building syndrome is believed to be Sick-building syndrome is believed to be caused by indoor air pollutants.caused by indoor air pollutants.

Sick-building syndrome is most common in Sick-building syndrome is most common in hot places where buildings are tightly hot places where buildings are tightly sealed to keep out the heat.sealed to keep out the heat.

Radon GasRadon Gas

Radon gas is colorless, tasteless, Radon gas is colorless, tasteless, odorless, and radioactive. odorless, and radioactive.

Radon seeps through cracks in the Radon seeps through cracks in the foundation where it adheres to dust foundation where it adheres to dust particles.particles.

People inhale the dust, there radon can People inhale the dust, there radon can destroy the genetic material in cells that line destroy the genetic material in cells that line the air passages.the air passages.

The damage can lead to cancer, especially The damage can lead to cancer, especially among smokers.among smokers.

AsbestosAsbestos

Before the 1970Before the 1970’’s asbestos s asbestos was used as an insulator was used as an insulator and fire retardant in buildings.and fire retardant in buildings.

Asbestos fibers can cut and Asbestos fibers can cut and scar the lungs, causing the scar the lungs, causing the disease asbestosis.disease asbestosis.

Victims of the disease have more and Victims of the disease have more and more difficulty breathing and may more difficulty breathing and may eventually die of heart failure.eventually die of heart failure.

Noise PollutionNoise Pollution

Health problems that can be Health problems that can be caused by noise pollution include caused by noise pollution include loss of hearing, high blood loss of hearing, high blood pressure, and stress.pressure, and stress.

Noise can also cause loss of Noise can also cause loss of sleep, which may lead decreased sleep, which may lead decreased productivity at work and in the productivity at work and in the classroomclassroom

A A decibeldecibel is the most common is the most common unit used to measure loudness unit used to measure loudness (dB).(dB).

Light PollutionLight Pollution

Light pollution doesnLight pollution doesn’’t directly t directly effect human health, but it does effect human health, but it does negatively affect our environment.negatively affect our environment.

The most important environmental concern of The most important environmental concern of inefficient lighting is energy waste. inefficient lighting is energy waste.

Energy is wasted when a light is directed upward Energy is wasted when a light is directed upward into the night sky and lost to space. Examples into the night sky and lost to space. Examples include lighting on billboards, poor-quality street include lighting on billboards, poor-quality street lights, and the lighting of building exteriors.lights, and the lighting of building exteriors.