AIR POLLUTION

PRESENTED BY:
ADRIANA CASTRO
ALEXANDRA CASTRO
FREIMER CABALLERO

TEACHER:
DANIEL DOSTIE

LEVEL:
10

COLOMBO AMERICANO

BARRANQUILLA, 01/06/2019
INTRODUCTION
Air pollution is a mix of particles and gases that can reach harmful concentrations both
outside and indoors. Its effects can range from higher disease risks to rising temperatures.
Soot, smoke, mold, pollen, methane, and carbon dioxide are a just few examples of
common pollutants. Air pollution is becoming a major health problem that affects millions
of people worldwide. In support of this observation, the World Health Organization
estimates that every year, 2.4 million people die because of the effects of air pollution on
health. Mitigation strategies such as changes in diesel engine technology could result in
fewer premature mortalities, as suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
This review: (i) discusses the impact of air pollution on respiratory disease; (ii) provides
evidence that reducing air pollution may have a positive impact on the prevention of
disease; and (iii) demonstrates the impact concerted polices may have on population health
when governments take actions to reduce air pollution.
OBJECTIVES
The overall aim of the proposed research is to further understand the between air pollution
levels and to investigate and assess the effects of air pollution on the distribution of related
health impacts
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution can be defined as an alteration of air quality that can be characterized by
measurements of chemical, biological or physical pollutants in the air. Therefore, air
pollution means the undesirable presence of impurities or the abnormal rise in the
proportion of some constituents of the atmosphere. It can be classified in 2
sections: visible and invisible air pollution.
Local
This concerns the quality of ambient air within a radius of a few kilometers.
Regional
Pollution like acid rain, photochemical reactions and degradation of water quality at
distances of a few kilometers to a thousand kilometers.
Global
Depletion of the ozone layer and global warming caused by the emission of greenhouse
gases, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2).

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Though many living things emit carbon dioxide when they breathe, the gas is widely
considered to be a pollutant when associated with cars, planes, power plants, and other
human activities that involve the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline and natural gas.
That's because carbon dioxide is the most common of the greenhouse gases, which trap heat
in the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. Humans have pumped enough carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere over the past 150 years to raise its levels higher than they have
been for hundreds of thousands of years.
Other greenhouse gases include methane which comes from such sources as landfills, the
natural gas industry, and gas emitted by livestock and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which
were used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants until they were banned in the late 1980s
because of their deteriorating effect on Earth's ozone layer.
Another pollutant associated with climate change is sulfur dioxide, a component of smog.
Sulfur dioxide and closely related chemicals are known primarily as a cause of acid rain.
But they also reflect light when released in the atmosphere, which keeps sunlight out and
creates a cooling effect. Volcanic eruptions can spew massive amounts of sulfur dioxide
into the atmosphere, sometimes causing cooling that lasts for years. In fact, volcanoes used
to be the main source of atmospheric sulfur dioxide; today, people are.
Airborne particles, depending on their chemical makeup, can also have direct
effects separate from climate change. They can change or deplete nutrients in soil and
waterways, harm forests and crops, and damage cultural icons such as monuments and
statues.

AIR POLLUTION CAUSES

Air pollution is caused by the presence in the atmosphere of toxic substances, mainly
produced by human activities, even though sometimes it can result from natural phenomena
such as volcanic eruptions, dust storms and wildfires, also depleting the air quality.
Anthropogenic air pollution sources are:
1. Combustion of fossil fuels, like coal and oil for electricity and road transport,
producing air pollutants like nitrogen and sulfur dioxide
2. Emissions from industries and factories, releasing large amount of carbon
monoxide, hydrocarbon, chemicals and organic compounds into the air
3. Agricultural activities, due to the use of pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers that
emit harmful chemicals
4. Waste production, mostly because of methane generation in landfills

AIR POLLUTION EFFECTS

It is impossible to describe the whole extent of potential and actual damage caused by all
forms of air pollution. But here are the main consequences:

1. On the enviroment

Air pollution has a major impact on the

process of plant evolution by preventing
photosynthesis in many cases, with serious
consequences for the purification of the air we
breathe. It also contributes to the formation of
acid rain, atmospheric precipitations in the
form of rain, frost, snow or fog, which are
released during the combustion of fossil fuels
and transformed by contact with water steam
in the atmosphere.
 2. Global warming

On top of that, air pollution is a major

contributor to global warming and climate
change. In fact, the abundance of carbon
dioxide in the air is one of the causes of the
greenhouse effect. Normally, the presence of
greenhouse gases should be beneficial for
the planet because they absorb the infra-red
radiation produced by the surface of the
earth. But the excessive concentration of
these gases in the atmosphere is the cause of
the recent climate change.

3. On human health

Our continual exposure to air pollutants is

responsible for the deterioration of human
health. Air pollution is indeed a significant
risk factor for human health conditions,
causing allergies, respiratory and
cardiovascular diseases as well as lung
damage

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO REDUCE THE AIR POLLUTION

 Reduce the number of trips you take in your car.

 Reduce or eliminate fireplace and wood stove use.
 Avoid burning leaves, trash, and other materials.
 Avoid using gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.

There are ways to prevent, control and eventually reduce air pollution:
1. Renewable fuel and clean energy production

The most basic solution for air pollution is to move away from fossil
fuels, replacing them with alternative energies like solar, wind and
geothermal.
 2. Energy conservation and efficiency

Producing clean energy is crucial. But equally important is to reduce our

consumption of energy by adopting responsible habits and using more
efficient devices.

3. Eco-friendly transportation

Shifting to electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles, and promoting

shared mobility (i.e carpooling, and public transports) could reduce air
pollution.

4. Green building

From planning to demolition, green building aims to create

environmentally responsible and resource-efficient structures to reduce
their carbon footprint.

RISK

Cities and rural areas worldwide are affected by air pollution. When planning a trip,
consider health status, age, destination, length of trip and season to mitigate the effects of
air pollution.

SYMPTOMS

Short term symptoms resulting from exposure to air pollution include itchy eyes, nose and
throat, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches, nausea, and upper
respiratory infections (bronchitis and pneumonia). It also exacerbates asthma and
emphysema. Long term effects include lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic
respiratory illness, and developing allergies. Air pollution is also associated with heart
attacks and strokes.

AIR POLLUTION IN COLOMBIA

Air pollution has become one of the most important concerns of the local authorities of
LatinAmerican cities. Bogotá, like as other urban centers in South America such as Sao Paulo,
Mexico City and Santiago de Chile, shows significant levels of air pollution, levels that may
represent a high risk for the population‟s health and certainly a reduction in the quality of life of
its inhabitants. Bogotá, capital of Colombia, is one of the largest cities of Latin America; with a
population of around 6.5 million and an annual growth rate of 2.08 percent it is the largest urban
center in Colombia; it also has the highest rates of environmental deterioration of the country. Air
pollution has increased dramatically lately, due mainly to the uncontrolled increase in the number
of vehicles in the city. Most air pollutants have effects on human health although their effects are
different. Consider first Carbon Monoxide. This pollutant reduces the level of oxygen in the blood
forcing the heart to work harder. At high exposure levels it may affect the capacity of thinking,
reduce the reflexes and cause nausea, dizziness, unconsciousness and even death. On the other
hand, a pollutant such as nitrogen dioxide will affect mainly persons susceptible to respiratory
infections, especially children. Nevertheless, a strong and direct effect on human health from
exposure to this pollutant has not been proven to exist yet. On the contrary, there is strong
evidence of the effect of sulfur dioxide on human health with long as well as shorter time
exposure to it Recent studies have associated changes in the 24-hour average exposure to SO2 to
lung function, increase in the incidence of respiratory symptoms and diseases, and even risk of
death. Particulate matter is another main pollutant that presents serious health effects on
humans. Epidemiological studies have shown that the presence of particulate matter in the
environment may affect the human respiratory apparatus causing a notorious reduction in lung
function. Lead is also present in the air in most urban centers and its presence has been proven to
be a serious problem especially for children. Lead may cause loss of memory, reading and spelling
difficulties, vision problems, and deficiencies in perception among others. Finally, there is ozone,
the principal component of smog. This gas has been associated with an increase in respiratory
illnesses, eye problems and a reduction of lung activity. The strong connection between air
pollutants and health problems described in the previous paragraphs has, under these
circumstances, become a concern for Bogotá‟s authorities. Statistics of the Secretary of Health
showed that for 1996 around 14% of the visits to the hospitals were related to respiratory
problems. The evidence is even stronger for the infant population where 30% of the visits to the
hospitals were associated with Acute Respiratory Illnesses (ARI).
CONCLUSION

The health of the public, especially those who are the most vulnerable, such as children, the
elderly and the sick, is at risk from air pollution, but it is difficult to say how large the risk
is. It is possible that the problem has been over-stressed in relation to other challenges in
the field of public health.
As we have seen, there are considerable uncertainties in estimating both exposures and
effects and their relationships. It may be, for example, that the effects of long-term
exposure to lower concentrations of air pollutants could be more damaging to public health
than short-term exposure to higher concentrations. For this reason alone, local authorities
could take action to assess and improve local air quality. It is not sufficient to wait for an
episode of severe air pollution and then try to deal with its effects