How Does Air Pollution Affect Our Health? Air Pollution Sources & Health Risks by 30Seconds Mom

A brown haze over a cityscape, smog in a factory zone or the invisible pollutants we can’t always see but perhaps can smell – air pollution is a constant in our lives, and it continues to be a major threat to humanity’s health and prosperity globally.

Air pollution, in every form, is responsible for more than 6.5 million deaths yearly. Over the past two decades, there has been a steady decline in deaths related to historical pollutants such as household air pollution, unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation. However, it is offset by increasing deaths due to more "modern" forms of pollution, including ambient air pollution, lead pollution and chemical pollution. These modern types of pollution now require our focus to increase prevention and mitigation.

What Is Air Pollution?

Air pollution occurs when there is one or more contaminants in the atmosphere such as dust, fumes, mist, odor, gas, smoke or vapor, and these contaminants are present in quantities and duration that can negatively impact an individual’s health. Air pollution has a range of different sources.

• Household Combustion Devices: Household combustion devices such as wood-burning fireplaces, coal stoves, kerosene heaters and inefficient gas stoves are common sources of air pollution. The amount of pollution will depend on the fuel type (solid fuels like wood or coal generate more pollutants than gas) and the efficiency of the design, with older products generally being less eco-friendly.

• Traffic-Related Air Pollution: Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is a mixture of gasses and particles formed from vehicle exhausts, secondary pollutants formed in the atmosphere, evaporative emissions from vehicles and non-combustion emissions (road dust and tire wear), and is one of the major sources of air pollution in urban areas.
  

• Noxious Gases and Ozone: Noxious gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are all components of vehicle emissions as well as byproducts of industrial processes. Ozone is an atmospheric gas often referred to as smog when at ground level and is also emitted from cars and industrial processes, including power plants, industrial boilers and refineries.
  

• Particulate Matter: Particulate matter is composed of various chemicals including sulfates, nitrates, carbon and mineral dusts. Contributors include vehicle and industrial emissions from fossil fuel combustion, cigarette smoke and the burning of organic matter such as wildfires.
  

• Air Pollution and Climate Change: Air quality and climate change are closely linked and can have complex interactions in the earth’s atmosphere. The majority of the drivers of air pollution and climate change come from the same sources, simultaneously being threats to people and the environment, so a strong social and political focus and the creation of policies that help reduce air pollution will benefit both the climate and humanity’s health. The pollutants that should be of major public health concern are particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide.

Air Pollution's Threats to Health

Air pollution is, unfortunately, a byproduct of living in a modern world. While it should be a concern for all, air pollution is not always at the forefront of the mind, although health professionals like those who have studied online nurse practitioner programs have an in-depth understanding of the seriousness of air pollution.

The primary way people are exposed to air pollution is through the respiratory tract. Almost every organ in the body can be impacted, as the small size of many air pollutants allows them to penetrate the bloodstream via the lungs and circulate throughout the entire body.

Air pollution can affect anyone’s health, but those who live in urban areas or near busy roadways, and those who live in high ozone communities have a higher chance of being affected. Children who are impacted by air pollution are also more likely to develop bronchitis symptoms in adulthood. Both short and long-term exposure to air pollutants can have an adverse effect on health, with the levels and duration of exposure considered "safe" for each pollutant varying.

Breathing in pollution can cause respiratory issues and other diseases, with the World Health Organization (WHO) showing that 99 percent of the global population breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits and contains high levels of pollutants.

Respiratory Disease

Air pollution can impact several organs and is implicated in numerous respiratory diseases.

• Lung Development: Air pollution can affect the development of lungs in younger individuals, and can also cause emphysema and other respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

• Asthma: The increasing prevalence of asthma has been linked to urbanization and the subsequent outdoor air pollution.

• Chronic Bronchitis: In a study of over 50,000 women, long-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10 and nitrogen dioxide were linked to chronic bronchitis.

Tiny air pollutants can penetrate the bloodstream via the lungs and impact the entire human body.

Cancer

There have been several studies reviewing the impact of air pollution on the development of cancer.

• Breast Cancer: A significant study of more than 57,000 women showed those who lived near major roadways had an increased likelihood of developing breast cancer.

• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: Occupational exposure to benzene – an industrial chemical and component of gasoline – has been shown to cause both leukemia and is associated with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

• Lung Cancer: Lung cancer has been linked to coal use for energy generation.

Cardiovascular Disease

Most types of pollutants can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

• Fine Particulate Matter: Fine particulate matter can impair the function of blood vessels and speed up the calcification in arteries.

• Lowered Lipoprotein Levels: Exposure to TRAP can result in lowered levels of high-density lipoprotein, also known as “good cholesterol,” which can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

• Changes In Blood Pressure: TRAP can also cause dangerous changes in blood pressure, which can increase a pregnant woman’s risk of developing hypertensive disorders. This is the leading cause of pre-term birth, low birth weights, maternal and fetal illness and death.
  

Note: The content on 30Seconds.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. The information on this site should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your personal healthcare provider. The opinions or views expressed on 30Seconds.com do not necessarily represent those of 30Seconds or any of its employees, corporate partners or affiliates.

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