Air Pollution: How It Affects Our Health European Environment Agency

Some air pollutants, such as ground-level ozone, also possess warming power, which can trap heat from the sun in the atmosphere. Rainwater will become much more acidic when mixed with certain air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Typically, rain with a pH of 4 is considered acid rain, whose acidity is 10 times greater than that of pH 5. Acid rain is incredibly harmful to natural ecosystems, particularly its impact on soil. If the soil becomes acidic, the aluminum will become soluble and interfere with root cell division, as well as the ability to lengthen. At the same time, essential plant nutrients, such as calcium, will be reduced by exposure to acid rain; This makes it difficult for plants to consume water.

In this context, the Parties should promote actions and measures to improve many aspects of the issue. Boosting education, training, public awareness and public participation are some of the relevant actions to maximise the opportunities to achieve goals and objectives related to the crucial issue of climate change and environmental pollution. Without a doubt, technological improvements make our world easier and it seems difficult to reduce the harmful impact caused by gas emissions, we could limit their use by looking for reliable approaches. The accumulation of air pollution, particularly sulfur dioxide and smoke, which reached 1,500 mg/m3, resulted in an increase in the number of deaths in December 1952 in London and in 1963 in New York City. An association of pollution with mortality was reported based on monitoring outdoor pollution in six U.S. metropolises.

Poor people, who cannot afford to protect themselves from the negative effects of pollution, end up suffering more. Even in areas with relatively low levels of air pollution, the public health impacts can be significant and costly, as large numbers of people inhale such pollutants. A study published in 2017 found that even in areas of the United States where ozone and PM2.5 meet federal standards, Medicare beneficiaries who are exposed to more air pollution have higher mortality rates. A 2005 Atlas survival shelter scientific study for the British Columbia Lung Association showed that a small improvement in air quality (1% reduction in ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and ozone) in 2010 would yield $29 million in annual savings in metro Vancouver. The risk of air pollution is determined by the hazard of the pollutant and the amount of exposure to that pollutant. Exposure to air pollution can be measured for a person, a group (such as a neighborhood or children in a country), or an entire population.

Children, the elderly and people with persistent diseases are more vulnerable to air pollution than other groups. Urban populations are also at greater risk due to high concentrations of pollution in cities. Check the current air quality in your area to determine if you should take precautions, such as reducing or avoiding outdoor activities. A more recent international agreement of critical importance for climate change is the 2015 Paris Agreement, issued by the UNFCCC. The last agreement was ratified by a plethora of UN countries, as well as countries of the European Union.

Most PM in urban areas are directly formed by the combustion of fossil fuels by power plants, automobiles, non-road equipment and industrial facilities. Other sources include dust, diesel emissions and the formation of secondary particles from gases and vapours. The effects of air pollution on the human body vary depending on the type of pollutant and the duration and level of exposure, as well as other factors, including individual risks to a person’s health and the cumulative effects of multiple pollutants or stressors. Swelling of the brain was observed in dogs that lived for a long period of time in a heavily polluted area in Mexico. In human adults, markers of systemic inflammation (IL-6 and fibrinogen) were found to increase as an immediate response to PNC at the IL-6 level, potentially leading to the production of acute-phase proteins.

Fine particles (PM2.5) can be inhaled and cause serious health problems, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, which have their most serious effects on children and the elderly. Exposure to PM2.5 has been shown to greatly increase the risk of heart disease and stroke in particular. They are calculated using estimates of the “Value of a statistical life” and the number of premature deaths attributable to environmental particles. Air pollution in both cities and rural areas causes particulate matter that leads to stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and acute and chronic respiratory diseases. With the exception of lead, standard pollutants are emitted in industrialized countries at very high speeds, usually measured in millions of tons per year.

Air pollution is air pollution due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living things, or cause damage to the climate or materials. There are many different types of air pollutants, such as gases, particles and biological molecules. Air pollution can cause illness, allergies and even the death of people; It can also harm other living organisms, such as animals and food crops, and can harm the natural or built environment.

For example, one would like to determine the exposure of a geographical area to hazardous air pollution, taking into account the different micro-environments and age groups. This would explain the daily exposure in different environments (e.g., different indoor microenvironments and outdoor locations). Exposure should include different ages and other demographic groups, particularly infants, children, pregnant women and other sensitive subpopulations. For example, the inhalation rate of a young child will be lower than that of an adult.

WHO and EPA have adopted air quality standards and guidelines for various pollutants as a tool for air quality management. These standards should be compared with emission inventory standards using causal analysis and dispersion models to identify problem areas. Inventories are generally based on a combination of direct measurements and emission models. Many of the causes of air pollution (i.e. the burning of fossil fuels) are also sources of greenhouse gas emissions.


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