Today, air pollution is a major challenge to those who live in urban civilization. The main causes of pollution in cities are car and airplane exhaust, the burning of fossil fuels (oil and coal) in generating stations and factories, and livestock feedlots.
In Los Angeles, transportation is the main cause of air pollution. Car exhaust creates smog that is so thick some days it looks cloudy. In 2008, Los Angeles was considered the most polluted city in the United States according to weather.com.
Living in polluted urban areas can cause many long term and short term health effects that are either caused or influenced by air pollution. A few long term conditions include lung cancer, heart disease, and chronic respiratory disease. One chronic respiratory disease called Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease develops after long-term exposure to lung irritants that damage the lungs and airways. Breathing in air pollution and chemical fumes or dust can contribute to this disease. With the continual exposure to air pollution, the lungs of growing children are affected, and medical conditions of the elderly are compromised as well. Short term effects include eye nose and throat irritation, and upper respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Other symptoms can include allergic reactions, headaches, and nausea.
Asthma can be triggered by allergens or a sensitivity to non-allergic types of pollutants present in the air such as smog. I just recently acquired asthma. I went through some allergy testing, but was not allergic to anything they tested me for, however they do not test to see if you are allergic to smog. Living in the polluted San Jose was the trigger for me. It is hard for me to go for a jog around my own neighborhood because my asthma acts up.
Besides these medical conditions, there are other ways humans are effected by air pollution. Medical conditions arising from air pollution can be very expensive. Air pollution is causing so many medical issues that it is forcing humans to lose more money on health care, and lost productivity in the workplace. Research into the health effects of air pollution is ongoing, but the best way to avoid air pollution is to move to a place where there is little to no pollutants.
Stay healthy, keep your money, and move to the country where a pollution-free environment is waiting for you!
Sources
McNeill, J. R., John Robert McNeill, and Paul Kennedy. Something New Under the Sun An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century World (Global Century Series). Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, 2001. Print.
"What causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?" National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Web. 12 Nov. 2009.
"Top 10 Most Polluted U.S. Cities - weather.com." National and Local Weather Forecast, Hurricane, Radar and Report. Web. 12 Nov. 2009.
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What a neat picture you chose! What you wrote about the side affects of air pollution makes a lot of sense. People don't understand the dangers that stray around all the damage their doing to the cities, ozone and weather. I believe it when you say L.A. was once considered the most polluted place in USA. I say. Mexico City is considered #1 in the world and it's runner up is Iran. It's sad that we all don't go out and buy a less pollution making vehical and all try to save the world more, maybe it starts with "us."
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog.
I guess we can all move to a place without air pollution. However, that just seems like we are just trying to run away from the problem. Creating better mass transportation or better alternatives is the key. Also putting the pressure to change policy and infrastructure. A lot of people stay because certain areas have higher paying jobs(economic reasons), and that maybe where family and friends are located(social reasons). Changing your personal behavior is great. But that needs to be supplemented by changes to regulation so people would have to follow it.
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