Paul Detweiler

Professor Petrie

Health Science 112: Foundations of Health Science

16 October 2012

Research Paper Outline

1. Introduction

a. Briefly describe what contributes to air pollution, the different kind of air

pollution, and how each type of pollutant affects human health.

i. Include how air pollution can easily travel far distances and how many

different pollutants/toxins can mix together in the air possibly

compounded the negative affects of air pollution

1. Discuss what areas usually encounter the highest levels of air

pollution

2. Ozone (NO)

a. How ozone is formed

b. Where ozone comes from

c. How ozone pollution affects human health

i. What populations are most sensitive to ozone pollution, when are elevated

ozone levels most hazardous to human health. (Moshammer)

3. Particulate Matter (PM)

a. How particulate matter is formed

b. Where particulate matter comes from

c. How particulate matter pollution affects human health (Keuken & Fattore)

i. Discuss direct link between size of particles and their potential for causing

health problems (Larsen & Buonanno)

ii. What populations are most sensitive to particulate matter pollution

1. Discuss National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences study

showing link between particulate matter concentrations and

cardiovascular and respiratory disease among people over 65.

(Larsen)

4. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

a. How nitrogen dioxide is formed and where it comes from

i. Discuss that nitrogen dioxide is an ingredient in ozone and particulate

matter pollution (Judd)

b. How nitrogen dioxide pollution affects human health

5. Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

a. How sulfur dioxide is formed and where it comes from

i. Discuss that sulfur dioxide is an ingredient in particulate matter pollution

(Judd)

b. How sulfur dioxide pollution affects human health

6. Acid precipitation

a. Describe what acid precipitation is and how it is formed (Joyner & Larsen)

i. Wet Deposition – acid rain, fog, snow, or mist

ii. Dry Deposition

b. Negative affects of acid precipitation on human health

i. Acid precipitation negatively affects surrounding environment which may

cause problems to human health

ii. Acid precipitation is an accurate indicator of a populations air pollution

levels. Although acid precipitation does not directly affect human health,

high levels of acid precipitation suggest high levels of air pollution, which

can affect human health.

7. Conclusion

a. Restate the affects of air pollution on human health

i. Briefly describe how each different pollutant can be hazardous to human

health

1. Briefly discuss air pollutants not mentioned yet in research paper

that may also have negative affects on humans (Tong)

ii. Reiterate who generally, is most at risk when air pollution is present

b. Describe briefly a number of measures being taken by governments to help reduce

and prevent air pollution

i. Offer guidelines on how individuals can reduce and prevent air pollution

(Larsen & Judd)