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.

To find out about the level of outdoor air pollution in your community, you can check the daily Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI is a measure of five pollutants: ozone (OH-zohn), particle pollution, sulfur dioxide (SUHL-fur deye-OKS-eyed), nitrogen oxide (NEYE-troh-jen OKS-eyed), and carbon monoxide (kar-bun moh-NOKS-eyed). Many newspaper, radio, and television weather forecasts also include the AQI. Learn more about the AQI, see color-coded air quality maps, and find your local AQI online at www.airnow.gov.

When the levels of air pollution are high, you can protect yourself and your family by limiting outdoor physical activity. This is because physical activity can cause you to take faster, deeper breaths, inhaling more pollutants into your lungs.

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.