A Brief Note On Indoor Air Pollution ( Iap )

Pollution continues to pose an enormous threat to residents of urban cities worldwide. In the August 2008 Monthly Update, it is stated that approximately 800,000 deaths each year can be attributed to outdoor air pollution, making pollution the single most harmful environmental hazard to human health in urban areas (Kallman). The fact that pollution kills hundreds of thousands of people each year alone portrays just how dangerous living in these conditions can be. Kallman writes about a study which proves an increase in upper respiratory diseases, cardiovascular mortality, respiratory mortality, and low birth weights when exposed to air pollutants (August 2008: Monthly Update). These can be very serious diseases and complications which, when contracted, can lead to death or very serious illnesses. There

It has commonly been assumed that air quality in Australia has become the higher quality in comparison to many developed countries, Despite this achievement, particulate air pollution is still an environmental problem in some areas. The origin of this pollution is from various activities such as coal burning for power and mining. Chakraborty and Green (2014), The percentage of production industrial pollution is remarkably higher in Aboriginal communities than other communities. Moreover, many indigenous Australians are practising pollutants activities such as the burning of biomass fuel for cooking and heating(Clifford, Pearson, Franklin, Walker, & Zosky, 2015). As a result, aboriginal people are prone to get the exposure of particulate matter

In Australia 3000 deaths each year are caused by air pollution. Scientific research shows that over the last decade, air pollution is increasing due to overpopulated areas, and burning of fossil fuels in both energy plants, and vehicles. The initiative- ‘conserve energy future’ states-“inhaling polluted air takes away at least 1-2 years of a typical human’s life”.

As the number of smokers are rapidly increasing recently, the number of patients with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is also gradually increasing. It is one of the most common chronic diseases and is considered to be one of the five leading diseases following heart disease, pneumonia, HIV and AIDS worldwide (GOLD, 2004). Smoking is the main cause of COPD. However, long term exposure to chemical fumes and air pollution could also cause COPD. This essay is all about how COPD affects individual, family and society as a whole across their lifespan. Also, it discusses the role of a nurse in caring patients with COPD.

(Hales & Corvalan 2006) document that indoor air pollution from solid fuel combustion in homes in the third world is attributed to 1.6 million deaths annually.

In the past decade, the severe air pollution problem in fast developing countries, particularly in China, has caused highly social and scientific attention. In 2014, 92 % of the world population are exposed over to the WHO Air Quality Guidelines (AQG) PM2.5 concentration level of 10 μg/m3 (World Health Organization, 2016). Ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution ranked as the third leading risk factor in India and Nepal, and ranked as the fifth in China (GBD 2015 Risk Factors Collaborators, 2016). In 2012, about 3 million deaths globally were attributed solely to ambient air pollution, and around 87% of it occurred in low- and middle-income countries (World Health Organization, 2016).

Everyone today contributes to pollution in some way or another. Daily routines such as driving to work or cooking release hazardous gases and numerous other toxins in the air. The same toxins released can cause harm to the lungs or even kill due to the carcinogens. Not only does the polluted air harm people but the effect to the planet is vast as well. Issues such as global warming, acid rain, and droughts are evidently linked to polluted air. Though pollution is not solely based in the air, many other forms exist as well like water, radioactive, and thermal/heat pollution. Yet the sad reality is, many people are exposed to it far more than others because of their ethnic backgrounds or for poverty based reasons. Communities with lower income

According to 2006 United States' Surgeon General report, secondhand smoke is a cause for premature death and disease in children and non-smokers. In addition, children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, ear problems, acute respiratory infections, and severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children and to adults the secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer. Finally, the Surgeon General report states, “the scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2006).“Third hand smoke is the name given to the toxic particles from cigarette smoke that settle onto surfaces in your home and remain long after smoking has ceased” (Heidtman, 2010), which means that even if a person smokes in the house when there is no one present the particles that state on the surfaces will still harm the health of the family that resides in the house. According to the Smoking-Related Fires in Residential Buildings (2008-2010) by the US Fire Administration,

Scientist believe that people who are dying are in China and India every year. According to reports from the World Health Organization, “About 5.5 million people around the world die prematurely every year from breathing polluted air, and the majority of those deaths are occurring in China and India, where factories and coal-fired power plants are fueling economic growth.” Evidence shows that disease from air and household pollution ranks as the number two cause of death worldwide. According to the presentation shown at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, “Air pollution is made up of fine particulate matter from power generation, transportation and open burning. Household pollution is created by stoves that burn coal, wood and animal dung for cooking and heat, primarily in India and Africa. Both can lead to heart attacks and strokes, and found that nearly 1 million people die annually from these causes in China, more than a half-million die in India, and nearly 300,000 die in the United States and European Union

Air pollution has been recognized as a major threat to environmental health, and the effects that it can have on the population are extremely varied. In the environmental aspects, air

According to Ahmed, Awe, Barnes, Cropper and Kojima (2005) states that, “between 1997 to 2000 the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance estimated that ARI was the country’s single most important cause of morbidity and mortality which in this period of time the number of cases of morbidity due to ARI grew by an average of 31 percent per year, an average of two to three time as many deaths as acute diarrhea, the second most important cause of mortality in Guatemala” (pg. 3). As noted by Ahmed et al., (2005), the main contributor to ARI’s is the indoor air pollution (IAP), approximately two-thirds of houses in Guatemala uses woods fires without chimneys for heating and cooking often in houses that has poor ventilation (pg. 28, 30). Ahmed et al., (2005) states that, “Children in these households are exposed to high levels of particulate matter” (pg. 30). Ahmed et al., (2005) mentioned that, “the main causes of death due to respiratory complications following fires is smoke inhalation which inhaling the smoke from combustion for a prolong time can lead to the effects of permanent lesions as bronchitis and cause infections such as pneumonia, where in the absence of proper care can lead to death” (pg. 11).

Moreover, certain occupational exposures are associated with increased risk of COPD such as agricultural workers with endotoxins, coal miners with coal dusts, concreate workers with mineral dusts, construction workers with dusts, gold miners with silica, and rubber workers with industrial chemicals (Hoekzema & Palmer, 2015). Exposure to solid biomass fuels, commonly used for indoor cooking and heating can also be a risk factor for COPD in the developing countries (GOLD, 2015).

Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the world. Although this lifestyle practice usually warrants a person’s conscious choice to inhale toxic fumes, more than the sole individual are affected by this habit. Passive or involuntary smoking results when bystanders are collaterally forced to also breathe in a product containing at least 70 carcinogens and 7000 chemicals, as a consequence of another person’s smoking (American Cancer Society, 2015). Evidence suggests secondhand smoking (SHS) can lead to “lung, larynx, pharynx, nasal sinuses, brain, bladder, rectum, stomach, and breast cancers” in adults, even though they never smoked firsthand. Although the severity of health abnormalities and illnesses vary due to exposure, the gravity of the repercussions of SHS cannot remain disregarded. The American Cancer Society proposes that due to a child’s pivotal physical, mental, and emotional development, they are “most affected by SHS and least able to avoid it” (2015). In addition to the impediment of a child’s development, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is potentially linked to the development of “lymphoma, leukemia, liver cancer, brain tumors, asthma, infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)” (American Cancer Society, 2015). ETS is literally a grave dilemma plaguing nations.

Inhaling dirty air can cause throat irritation, watery eyes, burning nose, and can make it difficult to breathe. The two most detrimental common pollutants, particles and ozone, can cause respiratory problems, and aggravate cases of asthma. Certain chemicals that are toxic are released into the air, and this can cause problems like birth defects, brain and nerve damage, long-term lung injury, heart disease, cancer, and sometimes even death. Some of these pollutants travel to the upper atmosphere, which contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer. Depletion of the ozone layer is linked to higher incidences of skin cancer and cataracts. EPA’s enforcement of the programs of the CAA has made significant progress in the reduction of air pollution. This leads to a decline in air quality related ailments, and saves the lives of tens of thousands of Americans each year (Benjamin, G.C., M.D., 2011). This increase in public health would save billions of dollars in public health benefits, which far exceeds the cost of implementing these programs. Some criticism has come against the CAA, claiming that the need for reform is desperate. This line of thought insists that the CAA fails in assuming that all pollutants have “safe” levels. All recent studies, however, have shown that fine particle pollutants are not safe in any quantity. Though detrimental health effects do decline in proportion with the decline of fine

Air quality depends on the presence of chemical, physical or biological agents which influence the natural composition of the atmosphere. Wood smoke contains irritants, systemic toxins and carcinogens. Burning of wood for heating, cooking, and lightening results in exposure to such pollutants as fine particles and carbon monoxide (http://www.who.int/). It was also found that high amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present in wood smoke, produce high levels of free radicals, DNA damage as well as inflammatory and oxidative stress response gene expression (Danielsen et al. 2011). There is consistent evidence that both ambient (outdoor) and household (indoor) air pollution cause upper (laryngitis, sinusitis) and lower (bronchitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) respiratory diseases and other conditions, which can even be fatal. All family members are exposed to adverse effects of wood smoke, but the highest risk occur to women and young children, who spend the most time near the domestic hearth. It was