Annotated Bibliography

This source features a report by Jill U. Adams on the dangers, and current regulations of air pollution and climate change. Holding a Ph.D. in pharmacology from Emory University, the author primarily writes a health column for the Washington Post. She has also been featured in the magazines Audubon, Scientific American and Science. Because this article covers climate change, there is an inherent liberal bias. However, this bias coincides with irrefutable scientific data proving the existence of climate change. The audience for this article is anyone effected by air pollution and climate change; just about everyone. This source upholds my speculation that human beings have a significant effect on the climate. Before reading this article, I wasn’t aware that 55 million people a year died from air pollution. I found this source on CQ Researcher while searching for ‘pollution.’

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

In the short term scientist and geologist are most concerned with the exposure to ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, PM2-5, and TRAP as increasing risk to asthma symptoms. You wrote a great article here. However, it appears we are very limited in how to help our communities gain better air quality. Keeping streets clean is one thing, but how does the normal citizen convince

Air pollution is not a modern concept confined to the twentieth century or to the industrial

Researching the topic of air pollution Atlanta using the Galileo database was easy because there are several filters to narrow down the search. Furthermore, the database contains several non-periodical and peer-reviewed articles related to the topic. Using the criteria outlined above, the research selected two peer-reviewed articles from reliable academic sources. The criteria were reliable in selecting six peer-reviewed articles that covered the topic of air pollution in Atlanta comprehensively. Nevertheless, only one article provided the most reliable information related to the topic.

Air pollution is characterized by the introduction or rise in air gases and particles beyond the standard levels of clean air (EPA, 2016a). Types of air pollutants vary depending on the source, such as industries, motor vehicles, combustion or natural sources; however, certain air pollutants have drawn more attention because of their widespread and health effects (EPA, 2016a). Examples of these pollutants are: ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and particulate matters (EPA, 2016a). A recent report from the World Health Organization states that 98% of the cities in low and middle income countries and 56% of cities in high income countries don’t meet the WHO’s air quality standards indicating high levels of pollution (WHO, 2016). In the US, national data on air quality shows improvement in the levels of air pollutants in the past 16 years (EPA, n.d.). Specifically, carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, PM10 and PM2.5 dropped by 60%, 91%, 45%, 69%, 17%, 36% and 37% respectively, yet ozone and particulate matter remained among the highest pollutants (EPA, n.d.; American Lung Association, 2016). While a similar trend of improvement in air pollution can be seen across cities and counties in the US, it is well documented that some counties score substantially higher all year round on air pollution quality standards (EPA, n.d.).

Most people never stop to think about the sanitation of the air around them. The only places that people ruminate over air quality are largely populated states and cities. One of these places is California. Ominous clouds of smog and polluted air constantly hover over the citizens. These people don’t ever look up and worry, because smog is a usual appearance. This issue destroys not only the earth and its atmosphere, but the very center of our lives: our bodies’ health. Particulate pollutants are like the retroviruses of the world: well-rounded and dangerous. Air pollution is the largest ecological issue of our time because the contaminated air lingers all over the world constantly being augmented to, and further threatening the world and those who lives in it.

Every human on the earth breath the air around to live and survive. However, the quality of the air is an important thing to take care of. Because, there are pollutants that can be present in the air at high levels. When present, there are many effects that can occur. So, let’s look at my region, the pollutants present in the air and what these pollutants can do.

Historically (pre-1892), the agrarian landscape was conducive to clean air; a time void of pollutants; however, with the advent of the industrial revolution, air quality was forever changed. Interestingly, two of today’s leading contributors of emissions are the result of two significant man-made events dating back to 1892 and 1893, which first began polluting the air. First came the emergence of factories with their emission billowing smokestacks (Davis & Henderson, 2011), which was followed by the first gasoline-powered automobile housing an internal combustion engine in 1983 (The Library of Congress, 2017). Although there’s shared knowledge about the importance of air quality and the health implications associated with air pollution, factories are still releasing toxic fumes and automobiles are releasing exhaust (Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, 2013). Subsequently, that which was the catalyst that carried society into the modern era remains a public health threat 125 years later.

Las Vegas, Nevada and the surrounding Clark County ranks in the 90-100th percentile for the dirtiest/worst counties in the U.S. in terms of pollution from Carbon Monoxide emissions, Nitrogen Oxide emissions, PM-2.5 emissions, PM-10 emissions, and Sulfur Dioxide emissions (Scorecard, 2011b). These same pollutants are known to cause cytotoxic and functional damages to human airways through oxidative stress and inflammation; which are linked to respiratory diseases in children (Ferrante, Antona, Malizia, Montalbano, & La Grutta, 2016). Currently, Clark County is home to 29,146 children with asthma and 130,553 adults with asthma; that’s 7.55% of the population of 2,114,801 (American Lung Association, 2017). There seems to be a correlation between the high levels of pollution in Clark County and the high numbers of people with asthma that is impacting the community’s quality of life in terms of health and the economy, and it is having an adverse effect on the environment as well.

Trends are changing with an increasing population in many metropolitan cities like San Diego, CA. Many individuals are spending more time in microenvironments like vehicles, making them more vulnerable to air pollutants and combustion by-products like PM 1.0, PM 2.5 and black carbon. These air pollutants have been associated to adverse human health effects including asthma, damage to DNA, cardiovascular effects, bronchitis, low birth weight and other respiratory symptoms.

The proximity that people have to freeways and industries contribute to the diseases one might develop. Children are affected by air pollution the most because they develop or are born with some type of lung related disease. “Children who live near freeways, ports, and rail yards are five times more likely to have lung damage than kids who don’t.”(NRDC, 2017) Barrio Logan is located in a much-polluted area and it is surrounded by freeways. The community is one of the most affected neighborhoods in San Diego and its location is prominent for its high levels of air pollution. “..it is located in a large urban area, near major freeways, industrial sources, and neighborhood sources such as gas stations, dry cleaners, and automotive repair facilities.” (CalEPA, n.p) Residents here are highly prone to develop asthma. “ A report released in 2014 by the California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) shows asthma-related hospital visits in the 92113 ZIP code fell within the highest 10th percentile in the state. On average, 80 of every 10,000 residents visited an emergency center for asthma between 2007 and 2009.” (inewsource, 2014) In City Heights, air pollution is also an issue. People in this neighborhood also experience greater risks of developing or having a lung related problem. “EPA Respiratory Risk data from 2009 show that City Heights residents experience a 4-5 times greater risk than

According to a 2005 study, air pollution may be estimated to be responsible for 3% of adult cardiopulmonary disease mortality; 5% of trachea and bronchus mortality; and in children 1% of mortality from acute respiratory infections in urban areas throughout the world.(Cohen et al., 2005)

The air poisons can lead to severe medical complications and even death for thousands of citizens, especially in these areas. In order to protect the air and the health of the nation, it is vital to create new policies to reduce pollution and emissions. Both health and standpoints are the best ways to assess this issue and to fully understand what is occurring in the atmosphere. *come up with a thesis *establish counter frames

Air pollution used to be a natural occurrence that had no major effects on the Earth's inhabitants. Such instances were caused by forest fires, emission from the Earth, and volcanoes. It was not until humans discovered how to start and control fire that we started over polluting the planet. For many years cities have struggled through thick smog due to dense smoke emissions. Officials, like in Los Angeles, have tried to adopt multiple measures to combat the smog but the city, and the rest of the world, continued to boom in industry. Thus, overwhelming the air pollution reforms the city tried to enforce. However, it was not until about seventy-one years ago during the height of World War Two, when the dire consequences of air pollution began to dramatically increase. Instead of a foreign enemy attacking the city of Los Angeles, it was a domestic one, smog. On July 26, 1943 downtown Los Angeles was covered in smoke and fumes. The smog was extreme to the extent that it cut off visibility of three blocks. This spontaneous “gas attack” came about in the middle of a heat wave. For the citizens it was unbearable. They suffered from throat-scraping and eye stinging sensations. The people soon realized that something must have gone wrong.. The day after the incident, the city officials blamed the Southern California Gas Co.'s Aliso Street plant for the catastrophe. In order to stop the smog, the angry public had the plant shut down temporarily. Yet they were unpleasantly surprised to