Sunday, May 2, 2010

Is pollution impacting our breathing?

Research and write a response (1 paragraph) about the impact of pollution on human breathing and air quality. You may choose to talk about sources of pollution, gases in the atmosphere, diseases caused by poor air quality, the physiological responses to pollution, or other relevant topics.

This comment must be submitted by Wednesday, May 5.

Government Report Claims Air Pollution Kills 50,000 People Annually

Mr. Kennedy

18 comments:

  1. # 11
    The main type of air pollution that people notice and recognize is man made. Little do we know that air pollution is also natural.
    Man made or artifical air polltion is your most obvious pollutants. Combustion, construction, mining, agriculture, warfare and vehicles are just a few of the pollutants we see everyday. Even though most of these can be easily controlled or even eliminated, we have a hard time being able to do so.
    Natural air pollution are the harder things to notice. Did you ever realise what happens to the air after a volcano errupts? Sulphur dioxides and nitrogen oxides are released into the air from volcanoes, oceans, biological decay, and lightning strikes. It's estimated that between 20 and 90 billion tonnes of these gases are released each year from these natural sources.
    So the next time you decide to get in your car to go to work on a nice day, take your bike and save some pollutants. Because we know just how much is already produced naturally!


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution
    http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/air_quality/Older/Natural_Air_Pollution.html

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  2. #19
    Pollution is a very big concern to humans breathing and air quality because it poisons us when we breathe in harmed air. There are many sources of pollution such as the use with; concrete, asphalt, fossil fuels, cement, consumer and commercial products and many more. However, the most dangerous source is transportation. In terms of the gases in the atmosphere, if there is not a natural environment, then there would no longer be any humans left. This is important because we need to start taking charge so we can keep the ability to reproduce and stay healthy. In conclusion, we need to start thinking about balancing our needs of transportation, energy, and environmental protection goals.

    References
    http://www.nutramed.com/environment/cars.htm

    http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/Pollution_Sources-WSF963E49C-1_En.htm

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  3. #18
    Pollution is, without a doubt, impacting our breathing in a very negative way. We may not even notice but there are a shocking amount of pollutants surrounding us today that are greatly harming our fragile lungs. Our lungs are extremely delicate and essential to our bodies. If we do not take care of them by constantly breathing in polluted air then we are not going to live very long lives.

    If you think the air we breathe in is just oxygen then you are sadly mistaken. The air we breathe contains so many other harmful substances such as pollutants that are affecting our entire respiratory system. Our lungs are particularly sensitive to air pollutants because they are made up of exposed membrane. Lung tissue cells are harmed by specific air pollutants called ozone, metals, and free radicals. The pollutant ozone targets the alveoli especially which is very bad because the alveoli play an important role of exchanging the oxygen in our bodies into carbon dioxide. By exposing our lungs to these horrible chemicals in our environment, we are stopping the respiratory system from working properly.

    Not only are our lungs being affected short-term by pollution, they are also being affecting in the long-term. The name of one major disease comes to mind when talking about lung damage and that is cancer. I think that the biggest cancer causing agents are in the air we breathe. Many people also have terrible breathing disorders like bronchitis, asthma and emphysema due to the pollutants in the air. These chemicals are slowly wearing away our delicate lungs.

    It is inevitable that the quality of the air surrounding us today is greatly harming our respiratory system. It is full of harmful chemicals such as ozone, metals, free radicals and so many more. It is sad to know that in our world today we can’t even breathe the air around us without damaging our lungs. We definitely need to do something about the quality of our air because our lungs are so vital to our bodies and we can obviously not live without them.
    http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/air/out-ext/effe/health_effects-effets_sante-eng.php

    http://ezinearticles.com/?Pollution:-Checking-the-Damages-Caused-to-the-Respiratory-System&id=283684

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  4. #9
    Some of the impact on human breathing from air pollution can cause serious problems.Individual reactions to air pollutants depend on what type of pollutant a person is exposed to, the degree of exposure, the person's health status and genetics. Some problems it causes on human is as small as whizzing and coughing to lung infection and heart-rhythm problems.

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  5. 1.
    Pollution is a extreally big contributor to childhood asthma and allergies. When a family lives in a town or city which has lots of chemical plants and causes a lot of pollution a child has a higher rate of getting asthma. In my research I noticed that when a child or a adult is in a high pollution area their allergies will show through a lot more than when in a rural or newly developed area. Scientist say this is because the air quality is extremmely low, and our bodys react to this by giving us the symptoms of allergies. Therefore we know that pollution negativly impacts our bodies, and in that case probably the bodies of all animals because we are a lot alike.

    References
    http://www.kidsallergies.co.uk/TheEffectsOfPollutionOnKidsAllergies.html
    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/184635.php

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  6. The quality of air we breath reflects our quality of health. People’s health reactions to pollutants all depend on the individual, it depends on their health already, the degree in which they are exposed to the pollutant and what pollutant it is. Pollutants can cause many different affects on a persons health; from coughs to aggravation of respiratory disorders to cancer. If these health issues go untreated it could lead to hospitalization or even death.
    Driving a car is the worst pollutant out there, yet people do it everyday. Pollutants, eventually will cause more then just health problems if we continue at the rate we are today.
    The cells of the lungs can be damaged from pollutants such as; ozone. They also harm the airway tissues, which are rich in bioactivation enzymes, which can transform organic pollutants into reactive metabolites and cause secondary lung injury. These tissues have lots of blood supply which can carry the pollutants to other organs in the body. Leading to a possibility of lung inflammation and impair lung function.

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  7. #2
    This is a very important topic in which I believe the answer is yes. Air pollution is impacting our breathing. There's no way to escape the pollution because we cannot simply stop breathing it in. Every breathing organism is effected by it. Pollution has been accumulating for many years on earth as everyday it occurs by factorys that are run, millions of cars giving off CO2 gases and more, cigarettes give off their share of pollution and there is thousands of other pollution sources.

    Pollution has a negative impact on Human health in general. This includes your vision, coughing, breathing etc. When you look up and see a dirty looking sky (brown smoke caused by factorys etc), just think; that is what I'm breathing in.

    Use second hand smoke for example: When someone around you fills the air with their cigarette smoke, you inhale some of that and it will effect your lungs. This is just like breathing polluted air, your lungs will fill up with it, dufusing polluted O2 throughout your body.
    In conclusion I do believe that pollution has an impact on our breathing

    references.
    http://www.windows2universe.org/milagro/effects/pollution_effects_overview.html

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  8. #14
    Effects of Air Pollution to our Respiratory System

    Even though our respiratory health is based on our gender; height, weight, health, and our habits, the pollution occupying the air also has an effect on our respiratory system. When we inhale oxygen, the air we take in travels to the lungs and to capillary-filled sacs called the alveoli. When pollutants such as ozone, free radicals, or metals are added to the air we breathe they damage the alveoli. Alveoli aren’t the only source for damage when it comes to air pollution though. The tissue in the airways can result in secondary lung tissue by reacting bioactive enzymes contained in the tissues with organic pollutants which will cause reactive metabolites. These metabolites can be carried through the blood stream and can be carried to other organs. Overall, when considering pollution, you are not only harming the world, but you are harming yourself as well.

    References:
    www.hc-sc.gc.ca
    www.dictionary .com

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  9. #3

    Air pollution is a problem we face everyday. People usually recognize air pollution to be the result of burning fuels, factories, and the transportation we use. Nobody really stops to think about the little things we do everyday to pollute our own air. Every time a person smokes, cooks or paints they pollute the air we breathe. The result of this pollution is acid rain, smog, the greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, and health problems. To try and decrease the amount of air pollution, people need to just think about the little things they do to pollute the air and stop doing them. Every little bit helps.

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  10. #5

    Air pollution can have a big impact on human breathing and air quality. Sources of pollution are found everywhere. Things such as cars, trucks (especially diesels), fireplaces, wood stoves, dust from roadways, construction, neighborhood businesses, and much more all contribute to pollution. These pollutants can be very harmful and cause certain diseases, such as: Respiratory disease, lung damage, Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Cystic Fibrosis, etc. People who suffer from serious heart disease and diabetes have higher risks of getting complications or even facing death due to high concentrations of air pollution. Air pollution is very harmful to people as well as our environment and we need to work together to help prevent it from getting any worse. We can do this by walking or finding other means of transportation instead of driving, carpooling, refuel your car in the evening instead of the day time, avoid spilling gas, used water based paints, etc. I think if everyone tried doing one of these things it could help make a difference.

    References:
    http://www.fraqmd.org/Pollutants.htm
    http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/17300.aspx
    http://www.ehow.com/how_3231_help-prevent-air.html

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  11. Water pollution is a major problem in our world that not only effects humans and the water we drink, but it also effects the many different organisms that live in that water, that don’t get a say on how they want their home “decorated”.

    We, as humans, are given the responsibility to care for everything on this earth, yet we tend to not take that job seriously. We let things get out of hand, and let nature slip through our fingers, a little at a time. What’s one of the fastest ways to kill nature? Pollute the water.

    There is so much water pollution going on, and people don’t even know it! Around 80% of the pollution that’s in the seas and oceans comes from a land-based source. Things that we pollute on land, usually go into the oceans and seas, and we never know because we don’t venture out that far often. Every year, the plastic waste we put in the water kills up to 100,000 marine mammals, and a countless number of fish.

    Do your part to save the world. Don’t pollute the water.



    http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/07-26/water-pollution-facts-article.htm

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  12. Air pollution is when chemicals or other harmful materials are released into the air that cause harm to humans or other living organisms or may damage the surrounding natural environment. Pollution can cause serious health hazards and dangerous life threatening diseases. It can cause servre breathing problems since the respiratory system is sensitive to air pollutants because much of it is made up of exposed membrane. Air pollutants can damage lung tissue cells. In addition to breathing problems air pollution can irritate the eyes, throat and lungs. Burning eyes, cough and chest tightness are common with exposure to high levels of air pollution. The air quality can change very quickly from the toxins that are being released into it. The quality will turn from clean to dirty which then will affect a majority of things that we need in order to survive.

    #12

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  13. #10
    Environmental Causes of Respiratory Disease

    Our respiratory systems are greatly affected by the air pollution from cars, factories, and workplaces. Examples of air pollutants are Ozone, SO2, and asbestos. Ozone, a part of smog is especially bad in the summer and can cause breathing problems, chest pain, and asthma (particularly in children). Pollution from the use of fossil fuels and vehicles causes airways to become inflamed and narrowed resulting in chronic bronchitis. Small particles from burning fossil fuels can affect other organs such as the heart. Workers, including construction or miners, exposed to asbestos are prone to chronic irritation that scars the lungs leading to pulmonary fibrosis. Lung cancer can be caused by toxic particles like asbestos especially in smokers. It can also cause mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the chest and lung) whether a person smokes or not. The link between air pollution and disease is easy to see. We need to act and reduce air pollution today so we can breath tomorrow.

    References

    Newman, LS. (2008, April 1). Lung and airway disorders. Retrieved from http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec04/ch049/ch049a.html

    Socha, T.S. (2007, September 11). Air pollution causes and effects . Retrieved from http://healthandenergy.com/air_pollution_causes.htm

    Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, A.T.S.D.R. (2008, May 12). What are the possible Sources of indoor air pollution?. Retrieved from http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/exphistory/ehindoor_pollution.html

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  14. #4
    Pollution effects the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The effects of pollution on these systems depends on the amount of exposer to pollutants, the types of pollutants they are exposed to, and their previous health status. Breathing in chemicals in the air can have a very negative effects on our lungs. Lung tissue is directly harmed by pollutants. This may cause your lungs to become inflamed and impair your lungs functions. This will eventually lead to difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing and difficulty with respiratory and cardiac problems you may already have. Two of the larger sources of pollution in cities are vehicles and fuel combustion in stationary sources; factories, coal-burning power plants. Although outdoor pollution is very prominent, some experts say that indoor pollution is what most people suffer from. Smoke from cigarettes, stoves, furnaces, paint fumes, etc., are all household sources of pollution. Indoor pollution creates the risk of pneumonia in young children under the age of five, and chronic respiratory disease and lung cancer among adults over thirty years old. Whether it is outdoor or indoor pollution, there are major health risks with both. There are many ways to prevent more pollution from happening and to keep our health at its best.



    http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/air/out-ext/effe/health_effects-effets_sante-eng.php
    http://healthandenergy.com/air_pollution_causes.htm
    http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs292/en/index.html
    http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/pollution-main.html

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  15. #13
    Pollution affects our health greatly. Air pollution can cause problems such as difficulty breathing, wheezing and coughing which can lead to the need for more medication and more frequent doctor visits. It can also go as far as causing early death. Pollution affects our entire respiratory system. Air pollutants like ozone, and metals can be harmful to our lungs. Some of the most common lung problems include minor lung illnesses, lung infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.

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  16. Pollution in our air has become a big factor in modern times. Many people decide to talk about it's effects on plant and animals along with the food that we eat, but what about the effect it has on our lungs as people? Ozone is a chemical that is created from cars exhaust and heat and light from the sun. ground level ozone can be very dangerous to humans for it damages cells that the lungs are made of. It can also increase the effects of asthma on a person who has the condition. When you breathe in polluted air not only are you breathing in chemicals, you may also be breathing in particles. These particles can be made from highly toxic chemicals and even heavy metals! since some of these particles are extremely small they travel deep into the lungs. These chemicals depending on their composition can have many effects, including cancer. In conclusion the air we breathe in some places of our world is far from clean. It can cause anything from shortness of breath to cancer, therefore we need to do our best to keep our pollution levels down to a minimum.

    #6

    References:
    http://www.airinfonow.com/html/lungattack/lungplay.htm

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  17. Air pollution is a growing concern for our health. It causes both short and long term negative effects. Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution, along with people with health problems such as asthma, heart and lung disease. Some short term effects of air pollution are coughing, wheezing, irritation to eyes and respiratory infections. But these short term effects can turn more serious if the individual continues to be exposed to air pollution. Some long term effects are chronic respiratory disease, heart disease and lung cancer. Everything we do now a days helps worsen the quality of air that we breathe. I think it’s a loosing battle if people try to help reduce air pollution because even if we make very Canadian drive eco friendly cars and shut down all the factories that pollute air, there will still be more than enough polluted air from other countries that will continue to pollute our atmosphere. If we really want to stop air pollution, then the whole world has to step up and take action, not just one country.

    #8

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  18. Thanks for the great responses everybody. Commentnig on this topic is now closed.

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