Air pollution may be described as contamination of the atmosphere by gaseous, liquid, or solid wastes or byproducts that can endanger human health and welfare of plants and animals, attack materials, reduce visibility to read about how. Utilizing the rich air pollution data collected at spatially dispersed 1 sites in and around delhi and respiratory health and socioeconomic data, from 1,576 households covering respiratory health data on 3,989 subjects, this paper examines the effects of air quality regulations in delhi on respiratory health, measured by lung function. Despite these, little is known about the health impact of urban air pollution at the cellular and subcellular levels among people residing in the indian mega cities. Air pollution has long been associated with detrimental effects on human health, from the treaty presented by john evelyn, a founding member of the royal society, to king charles ii in 1661 describing the effect of exposure to the aer and smoake of london on residents, to welldocumented air pollution episodes such as the great smog of london in 1952. Environment dying is global perilous point which catastrophically the human, animals and plants. There is evidence that medications used to manage lung or heart disease may reduce the severity of health effects caused by air pollution liu 2009, qian 2009. Air pollution and health is the first fully comprehensive and current account of air pollution science and it impact on human health. Air pollution causes and effects on human health home air. The impact of environmental risk factors on health are extremely varied and complex in both severity and clinical significance. Effects of air pollutants on human health your article library. These effects, as discussed in this report, depend fundamentally on the nature of the compound in question, the concentration in the air and the time of individual exposure. Despite their widespread use, little is known about whether these programmes produce any observable public health benefits. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light.
Health impacts of air pollution around the world, nine out of 10 people breathe unhealthy air. Activist groups issue reports with scary titles such as danger in the air. However, most of these studies have focused on physical health, while the effect on mental health is limited. Health impacts of air pollution environmental defense fund. Over the past 30 years, researchers have unearthed a wide array of health effects which are believed to be associated with air pollution exposure. Research is needed to understand the ecological impacts of air pollutants to support the secondary national ambient air quality standards naaqs, which provide public welfare protection, including protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops. Eutrophication destroys a spawning areas for economically valuable fish. A special report by the hei international scientific oversight committee of hei public health and air pollution in asia papa program a program of the clean air initiative for asian cities. Air pollution is now the biggest environmental risk for early death, responsible for as many as 5 million premature deaths each year from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and respiratory diseases. Mar 01, 2011 utilizing the rich air pollution data collected at spatially dispersed 1 sites in and around delhi and respiratory health and socioeconomic data, from 1,576 households covering respiratory health data on 3,989 subjects, this paper examines the effects of air quality regulations in delhi on respiratory health, measured by lung function. Effects of dying environment on human, animals and plants. In children, air pollution is linked to asthma and bronchitis, increases in school absences and er visits. Ambient air pollution is a major health risk globally. Indoor air pollution 2 000 000 deaths from ari in air pollution suspended particulate matter increases the risk of acute respiratory infections co and other toxic gases may impair development and health.
In general, air pollution can be divided into outdoor and indoor sources. Its magnitude and effects on health article pdf available in indian journal of community medicine 381. There is growing awareness of the adverse effects on health of air pollution following both acute and chronic exposure, with a rapidly expanding body of evidence linking air pollution with an increased risk of respiratory e. A separate summary for policymakers is also available. More than 80% of the population in the who european region including the. Rather than discussing the health effects of the many different pollutants which can be found in indoor air, the approach has been to group broad categories of adverse health effects in separate chapters. Effects of nuclear pollution the effects vary from organism to organism and from level of radioactivity of nuclear isotopes. Oct 29, 2009 shafaque saira malik s presentation on effects of pollution on health in the international training on effects of climate change and aqm slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change.
Health effects of air quality regulations in delhi, india. Air pollution is a complex and ubiquitous mixture of pollutants including particulate matter, chemical substances and biological materials. There is no evidence of a safe level of exposure or a threshold below which no adverse health effects occur. In this infographic you can know how it affects human beings. In london, for example, more than 400 schools are located in areas that exceed limits for nitrogen dioxide. The health effects of air pollution in delhi, india. There is significant inequality in exposure to air pollution and related health risks. Effects of air pollution on health federal council. Quantifying the effect alone is not enough to change policy and improve health the term smoga combination of smoke and fogwas invented by a british doctor a century ago.
Introduction concern for health has traditionally underlain much of the political priority given to environmental issues in oecd countries. Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution. Effects of air pollution on health with every breath we take, gases such as nitrogen dioxide and ozone are drawn into our airways and lungs, along with thousands of fine particles. Its the smog that settles over some cities, dimming the skyline. Despite their widespread use, little is known about whether these programmes produce any observable publichealth benefits. These acids are formed primarily by nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substancesenergies or naturally occurring contaminants. Agriculture and environmental pollution india water portal. Most of the information they receive about air pollution is alarming. A major study on urban pollution carried out in 650 cities worldwide has confirmed the fear that air pollution impacts on human health in the short term and is directly linked to the deaths of elderly people and those already suffering from illness on a daily basis the study, performed by an international team of 50 scientists and published in the specialist new england journal of. In some instances, outdoor air pollution can make its way indoors by way of open windows, doors, ventilation, etc.
Elderly people, children and infants, and people with lung or heart disease are most affected by exposure to both pollutants. This first publication to come from heis papa program was undertaken to help inform the clean air initiative for asian cities. World bank 2002 found particulate matter is the most serious pollutant in large cities in south asia. It is believed this teaching material plays a significant role to solve the critical shortage of reference books and text on the subject. Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint source. Air pollution worldwide is a growing threat to human health and the natural environment. This special report has identified and summarized more than 5. The level of health risks posed by wastewater with heavy metals was determined using different indices, including the transfer factor tf, daily intake of metals dim and health risk index hri or health quotient hq. Air pollution is an important determinant of health. In 21st century europe, air pollution has greatly improved by most measures but is still a substantial health problem, responsible for the early deaths of hundreds of thousands of. Its effects can range from higher disease risks to rising temperatures. The radiations destroy the cells in human body and causes cancer. Air pollution is a mix of particles and gases that can reach harmful concentrations both outside and indoors.
Plan strenuous outside activities when air quality is better. When placing this apprehension in context, the world health organization has shown that indoor pollution is responsible for the deaths of 1. Acid rain is precipitation containing harmful amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. The adverse effects on health of particulate matter pm are especially well documented. The effects of noise pollution on human being, animal and property are as follows.
Typically, when we think of air pollution, we picture big factories spewing out smoke. Studies have shown indoor air pollution to be associated with increased. This report contains a summary discussion of human health effects linked to iap in homes and other nonindustrial environments. How air pollution affects health exercises for injuries. A major study on urban pollution carried out in 650 cities worldwide has confirmed the fear that air pollution impacts on human health in the short term and is directly linked to the. Research on health and environmental effects of air quality. A wide range of adverse effects of ambient air pollution on health has been well documented by studies conducted in various parts of the world. Endosulphan problem 2 fish stocks and marine biodiversity. Its the smelly exhaust of an old car that burns oil. A major study links pollution in cities with deaths of elderly and sick people on a daily basis.
Heavy metals contamination and what are the impacts on. I15,i18,o53,q51,q53 abstract a large body of literature estimates the effect of air pollution on health. Human health effects of air pollution marilena kampa, elias castanas laboratory of experimental endocrinology, university of crete, school of medicine, p. Epidemiological evidence first emerged from american research, which arguably began as a consequence of the 1952 air pollution episode in london. Research is needed to understand the ecological impacts of air pollutants to support the secondary national ambient air quality standards naaqs, which provide public welfare protection, including protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings. It ranges in scope from meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, and particle physics to the causes and scope of allergic reactions and respiratory, cardiovascular, and related disorders. Measures to reduce the air pollution and measures to protect the health of the most vulnerable need to go hand in hand. The consequence could be adverse health effects that could be subclinical or overt. A longer exposure to radioactive radiations can damage the dna cells that results in cancer, genetic defects for the generations to come and even death.
Air pollution causes damage to human health, crops, ecosystems and cultural heritage the scientific data presented in this brochure have been collated by the working group on effects to support the revision of the 1999 protocol to abate acidification, eutrophication and. Regarding the impact of noise on human efficiency there are number of experiments which print out the fact that human efficiency increases with noise reduction. Air pollution and its effects on health case studies, india. Air pollution causes and effects on human health home. Noxious health effects caused by air pollution can be classified as due to either chronic or acute exposure. Introduction an important reason for controlling air pollutants such as particulate matter or sulfur dioxide is the damaging effects they have on human health. While industrial sources of contamination are important, air pollution has many different sources. Furthermore, studies have revealed that environmental contaminants significantly. Even nature can be a source of air particles that affect your health. Box 2208, heraklion, 71003, greece received 4 june 2007. The cost of air pollution consequences on the economy p. Environmental effects along with harming human health, air pollution can cause a variety of environmental effects. They are deposited in the bronchi and alveoli, where they can cause both short or longterm detrimental health effects. Accordingly, it offers both summary information for the former and full discussion, primarily for the latter.
Children living near diesel trucking routes are more likely to have decreased lung function, bronchitis and allergies. While most studies of air pollution health effects have been in the general population, studying subgroups with chronic disease has the potential to define the magnitude of the health effects in sensitive populations and may provide unique insights into the mechanism of pollutant effects. Many effects may also be associated, independently or in combination with, stress, work pressures, and seasonal discomforts. The health effects of air pollution in delhi, india by maureen l. It causes different kinds of respiratory diseases like heart attack, cancer, bronchitis etc. To reduce adverse health effects on days when air pollution is high, government agencies worldwide have implemented air quality alert programmes. This course is an attempt to answer such questions. Many of our ecosystems are under stress from climate change and air pollution. Air pollution is a major concern of new civilized world, which has a serious toxicological impact on human health and the environment. In london, for example, more than 400 schools are located in areas that exceed limits for nitrogen dioxide pollution, but fourfifths of those are in. The ultimate effect of air pollution on public health is to bring about premature death.
Air pollution is the black cloud belching from an industrial smokestack. Heavy metals contamination and what are the impacts on living. Tremendous increase in impervious surfaces has far reaching effects on the landscape and environment of the region. The present lecture note on air pollution is therefore, prepared to be used as a teaching material to train mainly environmental health and other students of health category in ethiopia. This article summarizes the pulmonary, cardiovascular, cognitive, and systemic health effects of exposure to particulate matter, ozone, and carbon monoxide during exercise. Delhi ranks highest among the most polluted city in the world in terms of air pollution. Air, water and food, in this order, are the core metabolic requirements for human life. Health effects of outdoor air pollution in developing.
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