Jonas Aichinger

Rut BjarnadóttirIntroduction to environmental science and resources

October 15, 2008

Pollution and health

Air pollution

Air pollution – main sourcesIndustry - electricity generation and

emissionTransportation – exhaust gasesPrivate households – burning fuels for

heatingConstruction - moving bulk soilsAgriculture - plowing Pesticides

Main pollutantsNitrogen oxides - NOx

Sulfur dioxide – SO2

Ozone – O3

Ammonia – NH3

Carbon monoxide – COParticulate matter – PMVolatile organic compound - VOC

Effects on health Increased mortality and cancer risk Reduces lung function Respiratory disordersHeart diseases Example:

Great smog of 1952 in London“Early in December 1952, a cold fog descended upon London. Because of the cold, Londoners began to burn more coal than usual. The resulting air pollution was trapped by the inversion layer formed by the dense mass of cold air. Concentrations of pollutants, coal smoke in particular, built up dramatically. The "fog", or smog, was so thick that driving became difficult or impossible. It entered indoors easily, and concerts and screenings of films were cancelled as the audience could not see the stage or screen…. In the weeks that followed, the medical services compiled statistics and found that the fog had killed 4,000 people, most of whom were very young or elderly, or had pre-existing respiratory problem… Deaths in most cases during the Great Smog were due to respiratory tract infections from hypoxia (a low level of oxygenation of blood), and due to mechanical obstruction of the air passages by pus arising from lung infections caused by the smog. The lung infections were mainly bronchopneumonia or acute purulent bronchitis superimposed upon chronic bronchitis.”

Particulate matter (PM)Tiny particles of solid or

liquid suspended in a gasOccur naturally:

volcanoes, dust storms, forest and grassland fires

Human activities: burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, power plants and various industrial processes

Air pollution harms unborn children (European respiratory society meeting in Berlin, October 2008, Dr. Philip Latzin)

Comparative study of newborn children taken into account air quality the mother was breathing in during pregnancy.

Children of mothers living next to main streets had a higher risk of being born with airway infections and their breathing frequency was also higher.

When the mother breaths in the particulates it goes to her lungs and from there to her bloodstream and to the unborn child.

Air pollution harms unborn children (European respiratory society meeting in Berlin, October 2008, Dr. Philip Latzin)

Effects on the placenta and the bloodstream to the child decreases.

Metabolism of mother and child changes. The formation of the lung alveolus in the

unborn child slows down.Doctor advice that air pollution needs to be

reduced and limit values need to be lowered.

The study was conducted at the University of Bern with 241 newborn children

SourcesThe Economist, The great London smog of 1952.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2008/08/the_great_london_smog_of_1952.cfm

A review of the measurement, emission, particle characteristics and potential human health impacts of ultrafine particles.

http://enhs.umn.edu/5103/particles/character.html

Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications. Swiss Confederation

http://www.bafu.admin.ch/luft/00585/index.html?lang=en

Arzte Zeitung, Luftverschmutzung schädigt bereits ungeborene Kinder

http://www.aerztezeitung.de/medizin/fachbereiche/?sid=515146

Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the council of 21 May on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:152:0001:0044:EN:PDF