Lastly, pollutants have been associated with skin cancer Higher morbidity is reported to fetuses and children when exposed to the above dangers. Impairment in fetal growth, low birth weight, and autism have been reported Another exterior organ that may be affected is the eye. Contamination usually comes from suspended pollutants and may result in asymptomatic eye outcomes, irritation , retinopathy, or dry eye syndrome , Air pollution is harming not only human health but also the environment in which we live.
The most important environmental effects are as follows. Acid rain is wet rain, fog, snow or dry particulates and gas precipitation containing toxic amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. They are able to acidify the water and soil environments, damage trees and plantations, and even damage buildings and outdoor sculptures, constructions, and statues. Haze is produced when fine particles are dispersed in the air and reduce the transparency of the atmosphere. It is caused by gas emissions in the air coming from industrial facilities, power plants, automobiles, and trucks.
Ozone , as discussed previously, occurs both at ground level and in the upper level stratosphere of the Earth's atmosphere. Stratospheric ozone is protecting us from the Sun's harmful ultraviolet UV rays. In contrast, ground-level ozone is harmful to human health and is a pollutant. Unfortunately, stratospheric ozone is gradually damaged by ozone-depleting substances i. If this protecting stratospheric ozone layer is thinned, then UV radiation can reach our Earth, with harmful effects for human life skin cancer and crops In plants, ozone penetrates through the stomata, inducing them to close, which blocks CO 2 transfer and induces a reduction in photosynthesis Global climate change is an important issue that concerns mankind.
Unhappily, anthropogenic activities have destroyed this protecting temperature effect by producing large amounts of greenhouse gases, and global warming is mounting, with harmful effects on human health, animals, forests, wildlife, agriculture, and the water environment. A report states that global warming is adding to the health risks of poor people People living in poorly constructed buildings in warm-climate countries are at high risk for heat-related health problems as temperatures mount Wildlife is burdened by toxic pollutants coming from the air, soil, or the water ecosystem and, in this way, animals can develop health problems when exposed to high levels of pollutants.
Reproductive failure and birth effects have been reported. Eutrophication is occurring when elevated concentrations of nutrients especially nitrogen stimulate the blooming of aquatic algae, which can cause a disequilibration in the diversity of fish and their deaths.
Without a doubt, there is a critical concentration of pollution that an ecosystem can tolerate without being destroyed, which is associated with the ecosystem's capacity to neutralize acidity. Hence, air pollution has deleterious effects on both soil and water Concerning PM as an air pollutant, its impact on crop yield and food productivity has been reported. Its impact on watery bodies is associated with the survival of living organisms and fishes and their productivity potential An impairment in photosynthetic rhythm and metabolism is observed in plants exposed to the effects of ozone Sulfur and nitrogen oxides are involved in the formation of acid rain and are harmful to plants and marine organisms.
Last but not least, as mentioned above, the toxicity associated with lead and other metals is the main threat to our ecosystems air, water, and soil and living creatures Undoubtedly, children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, especially during their development. Air pollution has adverse effects on our lives in many different respects. Diseases associated with air pollution have not only an important economic impact but also a societal impact due to absences from productive work and school.
Despite the difficulty of eradicating the problem of anthropogenic environmental pollution, a successful solution could be envisaged as a tight collaboration of authorities, bodies, and doctors to regularize the situation.
Governments should spread sufficient information and educate people and should involve professionals in these issues so as to control the emergence of the problem successfully. Technologies to reduce air pollution at the source must be established and should be used in all industries and power plants. This was followed by the Copenhagen summit, , and then the Durban summit of , where it was decided to keep to the same line of action.
The Kyoto protocol and the subsequent ones were ratified by many countries. As is known, China is a fast-developing economy and its GDP Gross Domestic Product is expected to be very high by , which is defined as the year of dissolution of the protocol for the decrease in gas emissions. This latest agreement was ratified by a plethora of UN United Nations countries as well as the countries of the European Union In this vein, parties should promote actions and measures to enhance numerous aspects around the subject.
Boosting education, training, public awareness, and public participation are some of the relevant actions for maximizing the opportunities to achieve the targets and goals on the crucial matter of climate change and environmental pollution Without any doubt, technological improvements makes our world easier and it seems difficult to reduce the harmful impact caused by gas emissions, we could limit its use by seeking reliable approaches.
Synopsizing, a global prevention policy should be designed in order to combat anthropogenic air pollution as a complement to the correct handling of the adverse health effects associated with air pollution. Sustainable development practices should be applied, together with information coming from research in order to handle the problem effectively. At this point, international cooperation in terms of research, development, administration policy, monitoring, and politics is vital for effective pollution control.
Legislation concerning air pollution must be aligned and updated, and policy makers should propose the design of a powerful tool of environmental and health protection. As a result, the main proposal of this essay is that we should focus on fostering local structures to promote experience and practice and extrapolate these to the international level through developing effective policies for sustainable management of ecosystems. All authors listed have made a substantial, direct and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.
The remaining authors declare that the present review paper was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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Menne B, Murray V. Schneider SH. The greenhouse effect: science and policy. Fine particles and coarse particles: concentration relationships relevant to epidemiologic studies. J Air Waste Manag Assoc. We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Air pollution appears to cause or contribute to a variety of health conditions. Harmful gases and particles in the air come from a range of sources, including exhaust fumes from vehicles, smoke from burning coal or gas, and tobacco smoke.
There are ways to limit the effects of air pollution on health, such as avoiding areas with heavy traffic. However, significant change relies on improvements to air quality on a global scale. The range of possible pollutants means that air pollution can affect people both outdoors and indoors. Short-term exposure to air pollution may lead to respiratory infections and reduced lung function.
It may also aggravate asthma in people with this condition. Exposure to sulfur dioxide may cause damage to the eyes and respiratory tract, as well as irritating the skin. Research into the long-term health problems that air pollution can cause is ongoing. Research has linked air pollution to serious health problems, adverse birth outcomes, and even premature death. Exposure to particle pollutants may cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. COPD is a group of diseases that cause breathing-related difficulties, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
These diseases block the airways and make it difficult for a person to breathe. Particle pollutants are likely to contribute to this figure significantly as their small size allows them to reach the lower respiratory tract. Research shows that living in an area with higher levels of air pollution may increase the risk of death from stroke. Air pollution may trigger stroke and heart attacks. According to research that featured in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , exposure to polluted air can make pregnant women more likely to experience preterm delivery.
People with lung disease , such as chronic bronchitis also called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD : exposure to air pollution might worsen your symptoms. People with cardiovascular heart disease : exposure to air pollution might induce symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain or shortness of breath. If your symptoms persist or are severe, you should seek urgent medical advice from your doctor or nearest Emergency Department.
People can be more susceptible to some type of air pollution in certain life stages: Unborn babies pregnant women : exposure to high levels of air pollution over longer time periods ie weeks to months may be linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as reduced birth weight or preterm birth.
Children are likely to be more vulnerable to exposure to air pollution compared to adults for the following reasons: Their lungs are still growing and developing Their immune and metabolic systems are still developing They suffer from frequent respiratory infections They are more active outdoors than adults and therefore breathe in higher doses of outdoor pollutant However, most evidence suggests that this is more likely in situations when concentrations are elevated over long periods of time and not just over a few days.
There is so far no evidence that short-term increases in air pollution have permanent effects on the developing lung. For 50 years the Clean Air Act has proved that health and prosperity go hand in hand. The landmark law is now under threat. The Trump administration failed to monitor air pollution in the toxic aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The air in southwestern Indiana is bad enough without the emissions from yet another proposed polluter.
Ten years after the disaster at a Tennessee power plant, the cleanup crew is seeking justice. At the same time, the Trump administration is weakening protections for this toxic pollution. Short answer: Yes. Even a seemingly slight average temperature rise is enough to cause a dramatic transformation of our planet. As temperatures and carbon levels rise, even breathing has become a challenge.
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