Air Pollution Talk

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.

Smokers are particularly at risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Second-hand smoke exacerbates or worsens respiratory conditions such as COPD and asthma. Cigarette smoking is responsible for 90% of all chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

What you can do:

If you smoke, stop.

Avoid tobacco smoke.

Request that family members, friends or caregivers smoke outside.

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency

Air Quality affects health, especially that of individuals with heart or lung disease. The Air Quality Index (AQI) tells us how clean the air is and whether it could affect our health. EPA, together with state and local agencies, forecasts and reports on current conditions for ozone and particle pollution.

What you can do:

Check the Air Quality Index (AQI) daily. If you cannot access the Internet to check it, consult your local newspaper, tv or radio weather broadcasts for daily ozone and/or particle pollution forecasts.

On bad air days (Code Orange, Red, Purple or Maroon), limit or reschedule outdoor activity.

Source: epa.gov

Air pollution, whether natural or man-induced, is neither good for man or any other life forms on planet earth. Naturally occuring air pollution can be caused by an erupting volcano spewing ashes in the atmosphere. Man-induced pollution, which was further increased by the industrial revolution, and be from factories, cars, and airplanes.

Although harmful to any living organism, life forms still seem to thrive and survive. The short term affects of air pollution may not be noticeable, but the long term affects of air pollution may be harmful in the long run. Years of inhaling different toxins, chemical etc. can be a cause of lung or other various types of cancer. Not only can this increase the rate of cancer, but increase the rate of other health problems, such as heart disease. We can do nothing about earth’s contribution to air pollution, be we can do something about our own.

The introduction of harmful materials into the earth’s atmosphere which harms life and environment in the atmosphere is air pollution. In early days, when pollution was minor, our earth absorbed all the toxins and purified by itself which is impossible in the present day modern world.

Pollution has been raised up after the invention vehicles and industries. Some day to day pollutants such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitric oxide, sulphur oxide and particulate matter pollutes our planet along with the atmosphere. When we follow the rule such as traffic rules, usage of air pollution control plants in industries, eTC., we can reduce this pollution rate and save our lives and our planet.

Some tips to control air pollution are:

switch to biofuel acid rain program
reduce emission of greenhouse gases
clean air market
clean air technology
green environment
reduce waste
modify transportation
eliminate lawn mowing
avoid use of chemicals at home

Air means a lot to human life, to give a better future to our race let us try our best and to protect our planet and lives in it as much as possible.

The cause of global warming is all around us. Your car, your garbage, even the lights you use to light your home can add to global warming, scary isn’t it? Well I have a tip to help lower your impact on the earth and your wallet.

Use your car less, I know this is a simple tip but most people don’t understand. Cars affect the environment a lot, so next time you need to use it, think, can I just walk to the place I’m going? Can I use public transportation to get there? Most people now days are so reliant on their autos that they can’t go anywhere without them, even if it’s only a couple blocks. This tip both saves you money, time, and even saves your waistline from getting out of control.

You can also help out by recycling your garbage. A lot of cities have recycling programs that can reduce your waste that goes to the landfill, just use them. If you want to make some cash on top of it, take your metals to a scrap yard. It might not be a lot but it might pay for something you need. Also please do not toss electronics in the trash; it can contaminate your earth. Take it to a place that will dispose of it correctly. Switch all your lights to CFL lighting, it saves you money by lowering your electric bill, uses less power, and helps put less carbon into the air. They might seem expensive at first but in the long run they save a lot. So that’s my tips for today.

Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe. As they break down further, these particles release small bursts of energy. This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over the course of your lifetime. Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer. And the amount of time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many years.

Like other environmental pollutants, there is some uncertainty about the magnitude of radon health risks. However, we know more about radon risks than risks from most other cancer-causing substances. This is because estimates of radon risks are based on studies of cancer in humans (underground miners).

Smoking combined with radon is an especially serious health risk. Stop smoking and lower your radon level to reduce your lung cancer risk.

Children have been reported to have greater risk than adults of certain types of cancer from radiation, but there are currently no conclusive data on whether children are at greater risk than adults from radon.

Your chances of getting lung cancer from radon depend mostly on:

• How much radon is in your home
• The amount of time you spend in your home
• Whether you are a smoker or have ever smoked

Source: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html#howdoes

Since there is no known safe level of radon, there can always be some risk. But the risk can be reduced by lowering the radon level in your home.

There are several proven methods to reduce radon in your home, but the one primarily used is a vent pipe system and fan, which pulls radon from beneath the house and vents it to the outside.  This system, known as a soil suction radon reduction system, does not require major changes to your home.  Sealing foundation cracks and other openings makes this kind of system more effective and cost-efficient.  Similar systems can also be installed in houses with crawl spaces. Radon contractors can use other methods that may also work in your home. The right system depends on the design of your home and other factors.

The cost of reducing radon in your home depends on how your home was built and the extent of the radon problem. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. The cost to fix can vary widely; consult with your state radon office or get one or more estimates from qualified mitigators. The cost is much less if a passive system was installed during construction.

Radon and Home Renovations

If you are planning any major structural renovation, such as converting an unfinished basement area into living space, it is especially important to test the area for radon before you begin the renovation. If your test results indicate a radon problem, radon-resistant techniques can be inexpensively included as part of the renovation. Because major renovations can change the level of radon in any home, always test again after work is completed.

Lowering high radon levels requires technical knowledge and special skills. You should use a contractor who is trained to fix radon problems.  A qualified contractor can study the radon problem in your home and help you pick the right treatment method.

Check with your state radon office for names of qualified or state certified radon contractors in your area.  You can also contact private radon proficiency programs for lists of privately certified radon professionals in your area.  Picking someone to fix your radon problem is much like choosing a contractor for other home repairs – you may want to get references and more than one estimate.

Source: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html#howdoes

There are two main sources for the radon in your home’s indoor air, the soil and the water supply. Compared to radon entering the home through water, radon entering your home through the soil is usually a much larger risk.

The radon in your water supply poses an inhalation risk and an ingestion risk.  Research has shown that your risk of lung cancer from breathing radon in air is much larger than your risk of stomach cancer from swallowing water with radon in it.  Most of your risk from radon in water comes from radon released into the air when water is used for showering and other household purposes.

Radon in your home’s water is not usually a problem when its source is surface water.  A radon in water problem is more likely when its source is ground water, e.g. a private well or a public water supply system that uses ground water. If you are concerned that radon may be entering your home through the water and your water comes from a public water supply, contact your water supplier.

If you’ve tested your private well and have a radon in water problem, it can be fixed.  Your home’s water supply can be treated in two ways.  Point-of-entry treatment can effectively remove radon from the water before it enters your home.  Point-of-use treatment devices remove radon from your water at the tap, but only treat a small portion of the water you use and are not effective in reducing the risk from breathing radon released into the air from all water used in the home.

Source: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html#howdoes