Global Atmosphere Assignment Essay

Epidemiologic studies have determined that the following are the major air pollutants contributing to respiratory diseases: sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and particulate matter (PM) less than 10 mm and less than 2. 5 mm in diameter (PM10 and PM2.5, respectively) (Baldi et al., 1999; Chew et al., 1999; McConnell et al., 1999; McDonnell et al., 1999; Neukirch et al., 1998; Ostro et al., 1998; Sheppard et al., 1999; Taggart et al., 1996). Particulate matter is the product of solid and liquid particles being directly emitted into the air from such things as diesel engine soot, road and agricultural dust, and manufacturing processes, while SO2, NO2, and O3, are predominately byproducts of fuel combustion.

A widely studied area in the impacts aviation has is researching air quality. There are two areas which have been getting a lot of attention and becoming more important relating to air quality. The first area is known as fine particulate matter (PM). PM is known as an air pollutant containing tiny particles floating in the air, sometimes creating a foggy, hazy look in the air. Compared to NOx, another compound found in emissions, PM is known to be a greater impact (Waitz, Townsend, Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Greitzer, Kerrebrock, 2004). One challenge the aviation industry is trying to overcome is measuring the PM caused by aircraft and PM caused by outside factors non-aviation related. There are currently no uniformly accepted methods for measuring both the PM and PM precursors from

Particulates (total and ultrafine) _Total particulate (floor: 0.072 mg/m3, breathing zone: 0.057 mg/m3), ultrafine particulate (floor: 0.0157 mg/m3, breathing zone: 0.0212 mg/m3) __ (standard: 0.1 mg/m3 total dust/ total suspended particulates, 10 mg/m3 total particulate, 0.015 – 0.050 mg/m3 respirable fraction of fine dust)

One of the main cause of air pollution is human activities like mining, construction, transportation, industrial work, agriculture, smelting, and some others. There are also natural causes that result to air pollution also such as wild fires, volcano eruptions. These are even rare and for the most part only affect the area that it surrounds. The bigger problem is going back to us humans and knowing that we can stop certain activities to help better the world and our air we breathe every day. One of the “invisible killers” in today’s air pollution includes nitrogen oxides, ozone, and very small particulate matter. (Frank) Today, PM has been researched to be held most responsible for most of the health effects caused by the air. Fossil fuel combustion is most common in more of the urban areas, which would come from the road construction that occurs quite frequently. (Frank) There has also been a rise in deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory disease with older people. (Seaton)

The World Health Organization estimated that more than 800,000 deaths worldwide were due to outdoor air pollution. Air pollution is a growing issue in industrialized areas due to exposure from industrial and traffic sources. Harm to the human body occurs from exposure to and inhalation of particulate matter (PM) (Barnes et al., 2012). PM is liquid or solid particles in the air, that when small enough in size, can be harmful to the human body when inhaled. Two common sizes of particulate matter are PM_10 and PM_2.5. PM_10 are particles that are 2.5 to 10 micrometers in size, and includes dust, mold and pollen just to name a few. PM_2.5 are particles that are 2.5 micrometers or smaller in size, and consists of particles from vehicles, industries, and burning. Smaller particles are able to get into the lungs and potentially cause serious health problems (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2015). These health problems include acute cardiovascular events, changes to blood pressure, coagulation, myocardial perfusion, and chronic respiratory diseases (Barnes et al., 2012).

Particulate matter (PM) is comprised of small particles such as acids (nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, soil, and dust

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is predominantly sourced from vehicle emissions5 and exposure to traffic-related particles is associated with increased risk of asthma in children6.

PM2.5 fine inhalable combustion particles connecting this to serious health problem including cardiovascular disease, aggravation of respiratory and premature deaths. PM10 standard to protection against the effect of dust, pollen, mold, etc. exposure to coarse particles (epa.gov). 1) Primary standard (health-based) and secondary-standard (welfare-based) protect public health with an adequate margin of safety, including the health of at-risk population/pre-existing condition. 2) Secondary standard (welfare-based) protection public welfare (the state of doing well) from adverse effects, including visibility impairment and known or anticipated on the environment.

There are many causes of air pollution. We can divide air pollutants into two categories. there are invisible and visible air pollutants. The smog you might see lingering over a city is a good example of visible air pollution. Invisible air pollutants are obviously not as noticeable, but they can be just as deadly, if not more so. Examples of invisible pollutants include nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Air pollution can further be split into primary and secondary pollutants. Primary pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, are ones directly

Paragraph: Also, air pollutants in the form of particulate matter is harmful to our health. Short-term effects like irritation to the eyes, nose and throat and long-term health effects like lung cancer, heart disease are all possible results. The continual exposure to air pollution can affect the lungs of children and complicate medical conditions in the elderly. Even worse, it can cause the brain damage of growing kids or deaths.

Air pollution affect many of the critical human body systems that are important for life. The pollutant in the air kill seven million people a year. In 2012 an estimated 7 million people died due to air pollution globally and 80% of the deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries (Khullar). Air pollution is very deadly and should be treated with more priority because it is very deadly. Air pollution can kill in many ways but one of the worse is it causes can increase the chance of getting cancer. The people who are exposed to toxic air pollutants at sufficient concentrations and durations may have an increased chance of getting forms of cancer (EPA). It also can affect other body systems in humans. The smog from air pollutants can irritate the eyes and throat.. It is especially dangerous because they can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream and

What about children’s lungs? Nitrogen oxides, which are emitted from smokestacks, are known to irritate the respiratory tract. They also react with other pollutants to produce ozone, which is a key component of smog. And hazy, smoggy, ozone-filled air is just terrible for kids with asthma. There is particulate matter, especially the tiny particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, which studies show can trigger asthma attacks. Children are especially vulnerable because they tend to breathe through their mouths, which means less filtering of pollutants by nose hair; they tend to hang out more outside, where levels of these pollutants are usually higher; and they run around a lot, which means they take in more nasty stuff and inhale it deep into their

Nitrogen oxide, when exposed over a long duration of time, can decrease lung function and also increase the chance of getting bronchitis, cough or phlegm, which is more likely to come into

Size of particulates in air pollution also play a major factor in the exacerbation of lung diseases. Studies shown a correlation between air particulate size (10pg/m3) and a 10% to 25 % increase in bronchitis or chronic cough in patients with COPD9.

NOx causes a wide-ranging of health and environmental impacts due to various compounds and derivatives of the nitrogen oxides family, including nitrogen dioxide, nitric acid, nitrous oxide, nitrates, and nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is capable to spread all parts of the respiratory system because of its low solubility in water. It diffuses through the Alveolar-cells (epithelium) and the adjacent capillary vessels of the lungs and breaks the Alveolar-structures and their function throughout the lungs. Concentrations of 300 µg NO2/m3 (146 ppb) are highly hazardous and could very well lead to the permanent health destruction