...Environmental health addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the related factors impacting behaviours. It encompasses the assessment and control of those environmental factors that can potentially affect health. Although many air pollutants are invisible, they can seriously impact our health, the environment, and our quality of life. Air pollutants may cause respiratory diseases, cancer and other health effects. Pollutants also may create odours and smog, diminishes the protective ozone layer, and contributes to other environmental problems, such as acid rain and global climate change. The air inside homes, schools, and other buildings also may contain pollutants that enter from outdoors and those generated indoors. Mold, radon, tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide, and chemical emissions from products and furnishings are some of the important pollutants that may be present in our homes and other indoor environments.(Frumkin:2010) Particulate matter (PM) affects more people than any other pollutant. The major components of PM are sulphate, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, carbon, mineral dust and water. It consists of a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles of organic and inorganic substances suspended in the air. The particles are identified according to their aerodynamic diameter, as either PM10 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 µm) or PM2.5 (aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 µm). The latter...
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...MODULE - 4 Contemporary Environmental Issues Environmental Science Senior Secondary Course Notes 10 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION Developmental activities such as construction, transportation and manufacturing not only deplete the natural resources but also produce large amount of wastes that leads to pollution of air, water, soil, and oceans; global warming and acid rains. Untreated or improperly treated waste is a major cause of pollution of rivers and environmental degradation causing ill health and loss of crop productivity. In this lesson you will study about the major causes of pollution, their effects on our environment and the various measures that can be taken to control such pollutions. OBJECTIVES After completing this lesson, you will be able to: • • • • • • • define the terms pollution and pollutants; list various kinds of pollution; describe types of pollution, sources, harmful effects on human health and control of air pollution, indoor air pollution, noise pollution; describe water pollution, its causes and control; describe thermal pollution; describe soil pollution, its causes and control; describe radiation pollution, sources and hazards. 10.1 POLLUTION AND POLLUTANTS Human activities directly or indirectly affect the environment adversely. A stone crusher adds a lot of suspended particulate matter and noise into the atmosphere. Automobiles emit from their tail pipes oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and a complex...
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...Course : Environmental Science The primary air pollutants in China Associate Professor : XU Bin Student: Dragan Cigoja Student number: 1593686 Mentor: Lecturer WU Bing The primary air pollutants in China API Air Pollution Index China State Environment protection Agency started with daily pollution monitoring from 2008 and it was covered 86 most important cities. Its purpouse is to check daily air quality by measuring the level of six atmospheric pollutants (table 1). Air pollutant Particle pollution Formula Source Health implication PM2.5 Particular matters of 2,5 micrometers or smaller. motor vehicles, power plants, residential wood burning, forest fires, agricultural burning Bring toxic chemicals and heavy metals into the body and with them risk of cancer as well as heart and lung diseases Particular matters larger than 2,5 micrometers and smaller tha 10 micrometers in diametar. Near roads and dusty industries irritation of the eyes, nose and throat coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath,reduced lung function, irregular heartbeat, asthma attacks,heart attacks, premature death in people with heart or lung diseas. Short term exposures result with an multiplicity of harmful effects including bronchoconstriction and increased asthma symptoms. These effects are partialy important during the exercising or playing. long-term exposure to NO2 levels currently observed in Europe may decrease lung function and increase the risk of respiratory symptoms such as acute...
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...another major problem that is yet to be solved. These dangerous substances can be either in the form of gases or particles. The air is 99.9% nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, and inert gases. Air pollution is a common term meaning the dirtying and gradual destruction of our natural resources, especially our air, water and land. This is referred to as environmental pollution. Once, years ago, the air was fresh and clear and the rivers were clean with fish swimming in the crystal clear waters and streams. This is no longer true today. Air pollution is the dirtying of the air. Where once we had blue skies and fresh air to breathe in, this is no longer the case. The air today is choked with toxic fumes from cars and factories. With more and more cars on the road, the carbon monoxide emitted from the car exhausts has polluted the Earth’s atmosphere. The clearing of land to make way for housing or farms has also lead to forests being destroyed and burnt. But did you know that air pollution also found both outdoors and indoors? It can, Pollutants can be trapped inside buildings, causing indoor pollution that lasts for a long time. The effects of air pollution are diverse and numerous. Air pollution can have serious consequences for the health of human beings, and also severely affects natural ecosystems. Because it is located in the atmosphere, air pollution is able to travel easily. As a result, air pollution is a global problem and has been the subject of global cooperation and...
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...Air Pollution and Intoxicants Jessie Sanders COMM/215 March 13, 2013 Daria Woodside Studies show that one in ten women of child bearing age has enough Mercury in her bloodstream to put her child at health effects should she become pregnant(Learn, 2011). That puts 689,000 out of the 4.1 million babies born every year being exposed to dangerous levels of mercury ("Toxic Chemicals Threaten Our Health", n.d.). Children exposed to even low-dosage levels of mercury in the womb can have impaired brain functions, including verbal, attention, motor-control and language deficits as well as lower IQs. Coal-fired power plants spew hundreds of thousands of pounds of toxic mercury into the air every year, which falls to earth in the form of rain and contaminates rivers, lakes, and streams ("Toxic Chemicals Threaten Our Health", n.d.). The clean air act will help prevent deaths and help save money. There have been no standards on power plants until the Clean Air Act ("Mercury And Air Toxics Standards In Oregon", n,d.). The coal-fired power plants spewed hundreds of thousands of pounds of toxic mercury into the air every year. The mercury contaminates rivers, lakes, and streams. Wildlife that’s exposed to mercury may develop slowly, have reduced fertility or even die. Scientists found that a gram of mercury – about a drop – deposited in a mid-sized lake in Wisconsin...
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...Atmospheric Issues March 9, 2014 Environmental Science Shawnica Pollard Abstract The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast an atmospheric issue, climate change, to an indoor air pollutant, radon. The paper will include discussions about the similarities as well as the differences between climate change and radon, the causes and effects of both, efforts to mitigate these issues, and current events that relate to both climate change and radon. Atmospheric Issues Acid rain, an atmospheric issue, and radon, an indoor air pollutant are both issues that have a damaging effect on the environment and cause health problems for people in general. The population is becoming increasingly concerned about these issues and have begun to take steps to improve the quality of the atmosphere as well as combating indoor air pollutants. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Acid rain is a serious environmental problem that affects large parts of the United States and Canada. Acid rain is particularly damaging to lakes, streams, and forests and the plants and animals that live in these ecosystems.” (EPA, 2012). Acid rain is a mixture of wet and dry deposited material from the atmosphere containing “higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids” (EPA, 2012). Acid rain is a result of both natural sources, such as those found in volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These man-made...
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...In the past few decades, people have come to recognize air pollution as a major environmental concern not just in the United States, but internationally as well. This however, is not a current issue. In fact, the importance of good air quality was reco ng or heart disease, the elderly, and very young children under the age of five (Buchdahl "Health Effects" 1). In a study taken, it was estimated that six of every ten Americans live in an area that fails to meet one or more federal air quality standards What therefore should the citizens of this country do to prevent such catastrophes? This paper aims to expose the different types of air pollutants, where they come from, their specific effects on the environment, and what we as human beings should do t Air Pollutants First, one must take a look at the different pollutants and air toxins. Ozone is a gas that can be both beneficial and very harmful. High in the upper atmosphere it may shield the earth from the harmful ultraviolet radiation waves from the sun. Howeve Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that comes from the exhaust of motor vehicles after fossil fuels, mainly oil and gas, are burned or combusted incompletely (Buchdahl "Health Effects" 2). Cars, buses, and some industrial plants tend to gi The next major pollutants are hydrocarbons. These tend to be released by many man-made sources mainly fossil fuel combustion (Brownstein 1). Some hydrocarbons can directly create health hazards. Benzene...
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...composition and chemistry of the air, causing damage to the environment, human health and the quality of life. The air that we breathe is filled with substances and pollutants that are hazardous to our health and these pollutants in the air can take many forms such as gases, solid particles or liquid droplets. Pollution enters the Earth’s atmosphere in many different ways. Air pollution can be created naturally, for example smoke from wildfires or ash from volcanoes, but most air pollution is created by humans, especially from the release of emissions from factories, cars, planes and etc. Air pollution that occurs naturally is considered as a natural source and air pollution caused by humans are called anthropogenic or man-made sources. Air pollution is the most common in large cities due the high volume of people and some of the most polluted cities in the world are Beijing, New Delhi, Los Angeles and Cairo. Although air pollution is usually thought of as smoke from large factories or exhaust from vehicles, air pollution can come from indoors also. Burning kerosene, wood, or coal to heat a house can contaminate the air inside the house, resulting in air pollution indoors. The ash and smoke from the burning of the substances can make breathing difficult and can also stick to the walls, food or clothing, which means that the pollutants will reside in the home for long periods of time. Another form of indoor air pollution comes from radon, which is an odorless, colorless radioactive gas that...
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...Air Pollution Problem in Bangladesh SUBMITTED TO- SUBMITTED BY: ASSIGNMENT Introduction Air pollution is one of a variety of manmade environmental disasters that are currently taking place all over the world. Air pollution may be defined as an atmospheric condition in which various substances are present at concentrations high enough above their normal ambient levels to produce a measurable effect on people, animals, vegetation, or materials. ‘Substances’ refers to any natural or manmade chemical elements or compounds capable of being airborne. These may exist in the atmosphere as gases, liquid drops, or solid particles. It includes any substance whether noxious or benign; however, the term ‘measurable effect’ generally restricts attention to those substances that cause undesirable effects. Air quality has deteriorated both due to human activities, and natural phenomenon such as wind-blown dust particles etc. There are two major sources of air pollution in Bangladesh, vehicular emissions and industrial emissions. However, these are mainly concentrated in the cities. Recently, air pollution has received priority among environmental issues in Asia, as well as in other parts of the world. Exposure to air pollution is the main environmental threat to human health in many towns and cities. Particulate emission is mainly responsible for increased death rate and respiratory problems for the urban population. This problem is acute in Dhaka being...
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...locations that do not violate their right to uncontaminated essentials. Environmental racism is placement of low income or minority communities in proximity of environmentally hazardous or degraded environments which can be displayed by the fact that it is detrimental to health, it...
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...Issue Sources Health/Environmental Effects Carbon dioxide (CO2) Fossil fuels that burn such as coal, oil, gas in power plants, automobiles and industrial facilities Volcanoes, Decay, Deforestation Headache and fatigue, and at high levels even death Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Foaming agents, aerosol propellants, cleansing agents for electronic and electrical components Skin cancer, cataracts, and a weak immune system Ground-level ozone (O3) Man made pollutants Smog, global warming, damages crops and trees and other vegetation Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) Sulfur Oxides Electric power plants, Irritate respiratory tract; same effect as particulates Note: Some pollutants may not have direct health effects. Choose one of the following atmospheric issues: air pollution, global warming, ozone depletion, and acid deposition. Then, respond to the following: • What air pollutants combine and contribute to this issue? • Briefly describe the health and environmental problems caused by the selected atmospheric issue. • Provide one key solution to help either reduce the effects or recover from the effects of the selected issue. The atmospheric issue that I choose is Global Warming. Air pollutants such as Carbon dioxide from power plants, the co2 emitted from cars, airplanes, buildings, methane, water vapor in the atmosphere increasing, nitrous oxide, deforestation, city gridlock, and permafrost all combine and contribute to global warming. Some health and environmental causes would be Allergies...
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...large role in our environment. The two types of air pollution that will be discussed in this paper are carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Both of these air pollutions have a daily effect on our environment. Air pollutants are either primary and/or secondary. Primary air pollutants produce a specific type of process, for example, sulfur dioxide released from industrial factories or ash from a volcano explosion. Secondary pollutants are not directly emitted, when primary pollutants react or interact, they form in the air. The First Air Pollutant Nitrogen Dioxide Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of the many prominent pollutants. High temperature combustion creates Nitrogen dioxide, which are produced naturally during thunderstorms. The Second Air Pollutant Carbon Dioxide The second air pollutant is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is considered a primary pollutant due to its presence in the atmosphere but it does become toxic when increase releases cause it to rise about its natural concentrations. The increase levels of carbon dioxide is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect. The sources of primary pollutants are called mobile sources these include trucks and cars. Other sources of pollutants are known as stationary or industry which includes industrial sites or power plants, etc. The most prevelant gases in the earth’s atmosphere are nitrogen and oxygen. Nitrogen is at 78% and carbon dioxide at 0.04%. When a source of energy, such as fuel combustion...
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...activities can release substances into the air, some of which can cause problems for humans, plants, and animals. There are several main types of pollution and well-known effects of pollution which are commonly discussed. These include smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and "holes" in the ozone layer. Each of these problems has serious implications for our health and well-being as well as for the whole environment. One type of air pollution is the release of particles into the air from burning fuel for energy. Diesel smoke is a good example of this particulate matter. The particles are very small pieces of matter measuring about 2.5 microns or about .0001 inches. This type of pollution is sometimes referred to as "black carbon" pollution. The exhaust from burning fuels in automobiles, homes, and industries is a major source of pollution in the air. Some authorities believe that even the burning of wood and charcoal in fireplaces and barbeques can release significant quantities of soot into the air. Another type of pollution is the release of noxious gases, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and chemical vapors. These can take part in further chemical reactions once they are in the atmosphere, forming smog and acid rain. Pollution also needs to be considered inside our homes, offices, and schools. Some of these pollutants can be created by indoor activities such as smoking and cooking. In the United States, we spend...
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...|Environmental Research | | | |Natural Science 1 | | | |1/29/2015 | | | |April S. Domingo 1st Year BSBA Economics | | | | | |Atty. Vicente T. Peña | Environmental pollution is “the contamination of the physical and biological components of the earth/atmosphere system to such an extent that normal environmental processes are adversely affected” Pollution is the introduction...
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...until I have read this chapter. Humans are the main cause of air pollution. The sad part is we continue to pollute. We poison the air every day by throwing out enormous piles of garbage, burning tons of fossil fuels, and driving. Primary pollutants are suspended particle matter, radon, lead, air toxics, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. The secondary pollutants are ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrates (Environmental Science 11e). These are mixed in with multiple air pollutions. Air pollution is caused by a brown cloud that hangs over the valleys, especially on hot days. That is caused by the ozone. The ozone is a colorless gas that is in the air. When the ozone gets closer to the earth’s surface it is called ground zero. At that point it is very harmful. It is very harmful to the plants, animals and is very highly reactive in the lungs and can cause respiratory disease too. The ozone can cause choking, coughing and stinging eyes. Ground zero chemicals are created by automobiles, trucks, and buses; large industry; utility companies; gas stations; print shops; paint stores; cleaners; and off-road equipment, such as aircraft, locomotives, construction equipment, and lawn and garden equipment (Environmental Science 11e). Also to reduce the risk of this is to reduce their driving, limit engine idling, refrain from using gasoline powered garden equipment or charcoal BBQs and also schedule painting projects during the cooler months, and when...
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