Air pollution is due to the presence of any foreign chemical agent present in its composition, nowadays it is a serious problem due to the increase of combustion appliances, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and the increase in the frequency of forest fires. Although this is not a recent problem, in fact it is a problem that has only been getting worse since the second half of the 18th century, with the so-called industrial revolution that started the massive use of fossil fuels.
The air we breathe is increasingly dangerous for our health. Source: Wikimedia.commons.
The air we breathe is nothing more than a mixture of gases that make up our atmosphere, and is composed mainly of 78% nitrogen (N2), 21% oxygen (O2) and 1% of other species found in small traces, such as noble gases, carbon dioxide and pollutants in smaller proportions. But it is this <1% of other gases that play an important role in the chemistry of the atmosphere closest to the earth's surface, where the air we breathe is found.
Within that 1% are the pollutants of greatest concern to public health authorities, including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. All of these chemical species, which are not part of the normal composition of air, cause respiratory and other diseases.
Air pollution is concentrated near the surface, where the air we breathe is. Source: pixabay.com.
This is something that should not surprise us since every year the World Health Organization (WHO) attributes the death of more than four million people in the world to atmospheric pollution.
Perhaps we are all more aware of the effects of atmospheric pollution on a global scale, such as climate change and the reduction of the ozone layer; but due to their proximity to the earth, the gases that are emitted naturally and as a consequence of human activities remain in the troposphere, considerably affecting our health regionally.
The high presence of polluting gases due to the photochemical effect degrade into other compounds even more dangerous to health, such as the so-called photochemical smog, and although it seems only a problem of big cities, the effects of atmospheric pollution can be felt even hundreds of kilometers away from the source of origin due to the transport of pollutants by the wind.
Health effects
Air pollutants have adverse effects on health, which may vary according to the type of pollutant, its concentration, the time of exposure and even the characteristics of each person.
However, pollutants and their effect on health can be classified into the following groups:
- Carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX)
Prolonged exposure to CO affects oxygen transport in the blood, which is very dangerous for people with heart conditions. SO is responsible for respiratory diseases, nitrogen oxides cause inflammation of the respiratory system.
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile compounds
These gases emitted by traffic and biomass burning are of concern in urban areas, as many of them are carcinogenic at high concentrations and prolonged exposure.
- Fine and ultrafine particles in suspension
These particles are mainly derived from combustion engines and biomass burning. The danger of these particles is their size, the smaller they are the more dangerous, particles with a diameter of 10 microns or less can penetrate and lodge in the lungs, while particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less can reach the bronchi and alveoli and even penetrate the lung barrier and enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis, heart disease and lung cancer.
The particles that pollute the air are smaller in diameter than a human hair. Source: image elaborated in Powerpoint.
Public health challenges
Whether it is due to the clouds of smog that hang over our cities or the smoke that is produced inside many homes due to the lack of clean fuels, air pollution poses a major threat to health and climate, and it is difficult for us to escape its dangerous effects, no matter what area we live in, it is all around us. And as we see, gases and microscopic pollutants can overwhelm our body's defenses.
That is why it is more urgent than ever to seek a solution to dirty emissions from transportation and to implement policies aimed at expanding the use of renewable energy sources to bring electricity to our cities, and campaigns like BreatheLife, a global clean air campaign, are needed to spread the word about the impacts of air pollution and raise awareness of its consequences.
Reducing the current concentration of atmospheric pollutants and preventing the emergence of others to which we are exposed is essential not only to ensure public health and because we all have the right to breathe clean air.
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