Air Pollution(Environmental Protection Agency, USA)
Today we review a valuable reference from the EPA which summarizes the impacts air pollution has on human health (as well as the environment and climate), what are the main sources of this pollution (electric utilities, agriculture and highway vehicles) and trends in the monitoring of pollutants (on average, down 41 % from 1990 to 2008- a notable exception is ammonia which only dropped 3% in this period).
Key Quotes :
“Health Impacts:
- aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease;
- decreased lung function;
- increased frequency and severity of respiratory symptoms such as difficulty breathing and coughing; (4) increased susceptibility to respiratory infections;
- effects on the nervous system, including the brain, such as IQ loss and impacts on learning, death
“Ozone (O3): Decreases lung function and causes respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and shortness of breath; aggravates asthma and other lung diseases leading to increased medication use, hospital admissions, emergency department (ED) visits, and premature mortality”
“Particulate Matter (PM): Short-term exposures can aggravate heart or lung diseases leading to symptoms, increased medication use, hospital admissions, ED visits, and premature mortality; long-term exposures can lead to the development of heart or lung disease and premature mortality.”
“Lead (Pb): Damages the developing nervous system, resulting in IQ loss and impacts on learning, memory, and behavior in children. Cardiovascular and renal effects in adults and early effects related to anemia.”
“Oxides of Sulfur (SOx): Aggravate asthma, leading to wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, increased medication use, hospital admissions, and ED visits; very high levels can cause respiratory symptoms in people without lung disease.”
“Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx): Aggravate lung diseases leading to respiratory symptoms, hospital admissions, and ED visits; increase susceptibility to respiratory infection.”
“Carbon Monoxide (CO): Reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the body’s organs and tissues; aggravates heart disease, resulting in chest pain and other symptoms leading to hospital admissions and ED visits.”
“Ammonia (NH3): Contributes to particle formation with associated health effects.”
“Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Some are toxic air pollutants that cause cancer and other serious health problems. Contribute to ozone formation with associated health effects.”
“Mercury (Hg): Causes liver, kidney, and brain damage and neurological and developmental damage.”
“Other Toxic Air Pollutants: Causes liver, kidney, and brain damage and neurological and developmental damage.”
“…Electric utilities contribute about 70 percent of national SO2 emissions. Agricultural operations (other processes) contribute over 80 percent of national NH emissions. Almost 50 percent of the national VOC emissions originate from solvent use (other processes) and highway vehicles. Highway vehicles and non-road mobile sources together contribute approximately 80 percent of national CO emissions.”
“The combined emissions of the six common pollutants and their precursors (PM and PM , SO , NO , VOCs, CO, and lead) dropped 41 percent 2.5 10 2 x on average since 1990”
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