Air Pollution Talk

Ozone is a gas that is naturally found in earth’s upper atmosphere, where it forms the ozone layer. The ozone layer blocks some of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

While Ozone layer protects us from getting all the UV rays, ground-level ozone is a pollutant that can harm the environment, crops, and human health. It is ozone in the lower atmosphere, close to the Earth’s surface. This is one of the main components of smog. Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight and heat cause chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds .

Volatile organic compounds are pollutants released by motor vehicles, factories and power plants, and chemicals such as paints and cleaners. Since we live in a modern world and we are exposed to all these wherever we go.

Source: Department of Health and Human Services.

If you wonder what kind of health effects of outdoor air pollution can have on your health, first of all, it can cause your eyes and nose to burn, your throat to itch, and even breathing problems.

In extreme cases, exposure to air pollutants at high levels over a long period of time may lead to cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage. It can cause long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages.

Air pollution doesn’t just affect women, children, and elderly, it affects everyone. Children are especially susceptible to the effects of air pollution because their lungs are developing. Outdoor air pollution also adds more harms to people who have lung and heart diseases because they are more sensitive.

In the U.S., ground-level ozone and particle pollution are two of the most common pollutants and threat to people’s health.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

If you ever wonder whether the outdoor pollution come from, there are many sources and you can be exposed to them without noticing. It is very difficult to void them living in today’s society. These outdoor air pollutions sources include emissions from cars and trucks, power plants that burn fossil fuels, and factories and forest fires, to name a few. Unless you lock yourself up in the house 24/7, it’s inevitable that you can expose yourself to outdoor pollutions.

The best way to void these pollutants is to limit your outdoor physical activities. If you live in a heavily polluted area, try not to run, jog, or walk with small children outdoors. Because physical activity in polluted areas can cause you and your children to inhale more pollutants into your lungs, particularly if you have asthma. Check the weather station often, don’t go out if it’s windy.

Ozone is a gas that is naturally found in earth’s upper atmosphere, where it forms the ozone layer. The ozone layer blocks some of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Ground-level ozone is ozone in the lower atmosphere, close to the Earth’s surface. This is one of the main components of smog. Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight and heat cause chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are pollutants released by motor vehicles, factories and power plants, and chemicals such as paints and cleaners. Ground-level ozone is a pollutant that can harm the environment, crops, and human health.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Outdoor air pollution can cause your eyes and nose to burn, your throat to itch, and even breathing problems. Exposure to air pollutants at high levels over a long period of time may lead to cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage, and long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages.

Air pollution affects everyone. Children are especially susceptible to the effects of air pollution because their lungs are developing. They also spend more time active outdoors. People with lung and heart diseases are also more sensitive to outdoor air pollution.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets limits on certain air pollutants throughout the United States. Ground-level ozone and particle pollution are two of the most common pollutants and pose the greatest threat to human health in the United States.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

What is outdoor air pollution and how can I be exposed to it?

There are many sources of pollution outdoors, such as:

• Emissions from cars and trucks
• Power plants that burn fossil fuels
• Factories and forest fires

Source: Department of Health and Human Services.

Pollutants in the environment can contribute to some illnesses that are more common in older adults. Indoor and outdoor air pollution can aggravate the symptoms of cardiovascular and lung diseases, including high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. These conditions are more common in women over the age of 50 than in men over 50.

Older adults may be more susceptible to the health effects of toxic chemicals. People who are exposed to pollutants over the course of a lifetime may have health problems when they are older. For instance, long-term exposure to pesticides may cause cancer or dementia.

Lead is a toxic metal that may be stored in bones. In postmenopausal women who were exposed to lead early in life, bone loss can release lead into the bloodstream. This may cause kidney damage, increase the risk of high blood pressure, and decrease cognitive functions.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Exposure to some toxic substances — including lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, pesticides, solvents, and household chemicals — can increase the risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, and other pregnancy complications. These and other environmental toxins can also harm the developing bodies of fetuses and infants. Women who are pregnant or nursing or who plan to become pregnant should take special care to avoid exposure to certain chemicals.

Source: Women’s Office

Many types of environmental exposures are more harmful for children than for adults. There are many reasons for this:

• Relative to their body weight, children eat, breathe, and drink more than adults do. So children take in higher concentrations of any toxins in their food, water, or air.
• As organs develop, they are more likely to be damaged by exposure to toxins.
• The ways that toxins are removed from the body are not fully developed in children.
• Children spend more time outdoors, where they may be exposed to outdoor air pollution and ultraviolet radiation.
• Children do more intense physical activity, causing them to breathe air pollutants more deeply into their lungs.
• Young children tend to put their hands, dirt, or objects into their mouths.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The environment is everything around you, indoors or outdoors. The air you breathe, water you drink, the ground you walk on, and food you eat are all part of your environment. It’s important that you know what things in the environment can affect your health and what you can do to help protect yourself and your family.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious health problems in women, such as cancer, lung disease, or reproductive system problems. They can also make health conditions worse. Scientists are studying the ways toxins in the environment may play a role in conditions such as breast cancer, endometriosis, and menopause. This fact sheet offers information about these toxins and steps you can take to limit exposure.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.