Air and our Health

Air is a fundamental necessity for the survival of humans, animals, plants, and the earth itself. Without clean air, both the quality of life, as well as the average lifespan, would decrease drastically. Air is a combination of molecules from different gases with the most common being nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). The oxygen is particularly important because this is what humans and animals breathe in order to survive.

Unfortunately, with all the factories, motor vehicles, modern gadgets and so forth that are in the world today, air pollution is forever on the rise. Toxic air pollution either originates from a natural source or is manmade. What makes it dangerous to living creatures, including humans, is when prolonged exposure or the intensity of the source causes severe internal or external damage. It is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air that have the potential of seriously harming our health.

Air pollution is caused by radon (a radioactive noble gas that comes up from the ground), chemicals released by factories, chloroflourocarbons or CFCs, car emissions, dust, pollen, and mold spores. When we generally think of air pollution, we imagine the air outside. However, a lot of the air pollution nowadays also takes place indoors.

There have been numerous cases in North America alone where the air pollution within an office building has risen to dangerous levels, resulting in many employees suffering with long-term health problems. Biological contaminants like mold and pollen are common enough, but cigarette smoke is not as big as a problem as it used to be due to smoking being restricted or banned in the workplace. Many office buildings recycle their indoor air through the ventilation system so that carbon monoxide rises to hazardous levels. A major problem with many of the older buildings in countries from all over the world is that they were constructed with materials containing asbestos, lead, and formaldehyde. These three contaminants can be deadly to our health, particularly in the development of children which is a cause for concern since many of the school buildings are quite old and suspect for air pollution.

One of the old schools that I used to attend was gutted out and outfitted with new pipes and insulation due to the high levels of both asbestos and lead. I never suspected that I might have been learning in an environment dangerous to my health, which is ironic considering that it was a school. In my various travels, I also worked in office buildings where employees would occasionally come down with ‘sick building syndrome'. Sick building syndrome occurs when a number of people - perhaps more sensitive than others - react to the air pollution indoors and show symptoms of illness with no identifiable cause.

You would think that air pollution enters our bodies when we breathe them in, and that is indeed true. Most air pollutants gain access to our body as we inhale them. Much to my dismay, I just recently discovered that air pollution can also be ingested by eating contaminated fruits and vegetables, as well as absorbed through the skin.

Once the air pollutant is in our body, it can move on to affect other areas such as the lungs, digestive system, blood, or skin. Depending on which route it takes, it has the potential to become either less harmful or more toxic. Some health problems include; cancer, kidney and/or liver damage, asthma, chronic bronchitis, skin rashes, birth defects, miscarriages, cough and throat irritation, nervous system damage, and developmental problems in children.

Unfortunately, not much regulating is being done in third world countries when it comes to monitoring the air pollution produced by factories or garbage disposal. Many first world countries are taking advantage of this situation by building factories and dumping their hazardous waste in these countries. Normally, if these types of factories were to be set up in their home countries, they would not stand up to the rigid testing that is usually necessary to determine whether or not they are environmentally friendly. As a result of this, on top of the hardships that these people normally face like starvation and a never-ending quest to find clean drinking water, they are now hit with increased air pollution.

The air pollution in one particular country is not contained, spreading to neighboring countries and even farther depending on weather conditions. So the smog from a first world country sometimes ventures into a third world country and vice versa.

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty which focuses on preventing or decreasing global warming. Air pollution is one of the main concerns of global warming. Currently, 141 countries have ratified this protocol, thereby endeavoring to decrease their carbon dioxide emissions in addition to 5 other greenhouse gases. Although the United States and Australia did sign the treaty, they have yet to ratify the agreement.

Global warming and air pollution have become direr as the stratospheric ozone depletion continues. The stratospheric ozone layer continues to grow thinner, decreasing at about 4% per decade. The countries involved with the Kyoto Protocol are determined to cut back on both global warming and air pollution, hopefully to a point where the ozone layer might be able to naturally reform on its own. However, this process may take more time than we have to live on this planet according to some researchers.

Many factors contribute to air pollution, some of them you may use frequently without realizing the problems that they are causing. Some simple things you can do to help improve the condition of the air we breathe are; cut back on products that release unhealthy chemicals into the air like aerosols, foam products, solvent cleaning products, and refrigeration or air conditioning devices that emit CFCs. Instead, try to use natural cleaning products derived from water, vinegar, and lemon juice. When shopping for household items, avoid all the unnecessary packaging and take your own bags with you. That way, more packaging and plastic bags will not need to be produced which will help to decrease the air pollution that is caused in the process of making them.

As for transportation, why not car pool or take public transportation to and from work? Not only will this help lower the CO2 emissions but it will also save you a lot of money in gasoline costs and car maintenance. If you're considering buying a new car, why not choose a hybrid or electric powered vehicle which does not pollute the air? For those of us who wish to lose a few extra pounds acquired during the winter season of overindulging, why not ride your bicycle or walk to the nearest shopping mall for a little exercise?

Another good way of helping the environment is by staying informed and keeping up-to-date on what is being done to reduce pollution. You can easily avoid products that are both harmful to your health as well as the environment by checking regularly with news reports and environmental sites online. If we all do our part in keeping the air clean, we will live much longer and happier lives by avoiding unpleasant illnesses and diseases.