Air pollution currently affects the health of millions of people, with concern over environmental pollution having existed for a long time. According to estimates from the World Health Organization, air pollution-related causes account for 2.4 million annual deaths, with this number increasing yearly. Read on to know more about the harms of air pollution, air pollution effects on humans and effects of air pollution on lungs
Understanding Air Pollution and Its Types
Contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any physical, chemical, or biological factor that alters the atmosphere’s inherent properties is known as air pollution.
Air pollution can be broadly classified into 2 types: indoor air pollution and outdoor air pollution.
Indoor air pollution is the term used to describe the deterioration of indoor air quality brought on by dust, dirt, and other contaminants. It decomposes into gasses and particle matter. Dust and soot are examples of particle matter (PM) in the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide, and nitrogen oxide are examples of gases that cause indoor pollution.
Conversely, air pollution outside of a building, and in the external environment is known as outdoor air pollution. It is primarily separated into hydrocarbon gases, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. Emissions from a variety of sources, including factories, fossil fuels, automobiles, and more, depending on the location, are the main cause of outdoor air pollution.
Both of these can lead to the harms of air pollution.
How Does Air Pollution Affect Our Lungs?
There are several effects of air pollution on lungs. While each air pollutant can have unique harmful effects on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, ozone, nitrogen oxides, and suspended particles all have the ability to be strong oxidants.
When the air pollutant enters our lungs, the inflammatory cells of the body are activated, more inflammatory cells are drawn into the airways and alveoli, where they are primed to release injurious chemical substances and harm tissues of the lung.
There is also acute broncho-constrictor response (narrowing) and hyperresponsiveness (increased sensitivity) observed in asthma upon exposure to the air pollutant.
This ultimately leads to lung diseases due to pollution.
What Is the Effect of Air Pollution on Human Health?
Harms of air pollution on human health can occur both acute and long-term ways, impacting various organs and systems.
Studies have shown both acute symptoms in adults and children, as well as acute impacts on lung function. Acute respiratory infections in children, chronic bronchitis in adults, lung cancer, exacerbation of pre-existing heart and lung diseases, asthma attacks, and mild upper respiratory irritation are all examples. Furthermore, both short-term and long-term exposures have been connected to lower life expectancy and early mortality.
It has been demonstrated that when air pollution levels rise, so do total mortality (deaths) and hospitalizations for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially in those over 65.
In addition to its impact on the respiratory system, air pollution also affects cardiac mortality. It has been linked to potentially fatal arrhythmias that cause heart attacks and other cardiovascular issues.
In general, the frequency of occurrence of the health outcome is related to the severity of the air pollution, i.e., the more severe the air pollution, the worse the health outcome of the population.
How Does Air Pollution Cause Health Problems?
Effects of air pollution have been linked to respiratory, cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and problems of the immunological, neurological, and reproductive systems. All these diseases are the result of air pollution effects on humans.
Respiratory disease: Effects of air pollution on lungs can be seen in studies that have shown that air pollution can have an impact on lung development and is linked to the development of respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and asthma.
Cardiovascular disease: Air pollution can accelerate artery calcification and affect blood vessel function. This in turn can lead to embolism (blockage), increased blood pressure and death due to cardiovascular disease.
Cancer: Exposure to chemical air pollutants particularly benzene/ gasoline have been shown to induce the protection of cancerous cells thereby causing cancers such as leukemia (blood cancer) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (cancer of certain blood cells).
How Air Pollution Affects the Respiratory System
1. How Pollutants Enter the Lungs
Humans are mostly exposed to various air contaminants through inhalation, that is, by breathing the air in the ambient environment. The likelihood of lung harm increases with particle size because smaller particles can enter the airways far more deeply.
2. Short-Term Effects of Air Pollution on Lungs
Acute reactions to air pollution in otherwise healthy people may be restricted to reversible physiological changes caused by natural defensive systems of the body (e.g., coughing, watery eyes, or a short reduction in lung function).
At first, the effects of air pollution may manifest as mild symptoms like irritation of the skin, eyes, throat, or nose. Increased exposure to air pollutants can lead to persistent cough, sore throat, mucus, wheezing, pain in the chest, headache, lightheadedness and feeling queasy.
Acute reactions can increase the risk of hospitalization or even death, exacerbate an existing respiratory infection, or extend a condition like asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease that has already put the person at risk.
3. Long-Term Effects of Air Pollution on Lungs
Numerous long-term health issues can arise from ongoing exposure to air pollution.
It might impair immunity, making a person more vulnerable to infections and other illnesses. Long-term exposure to pollutants is frequently linked to respiratory diseases including lung cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), as well as cardiovascular ailments like heart disease. People can also get a number of lung conditions, including chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, and emphysema.
Additionally, air pollution can harm key organs such as the liver, kidneys, brain, and nerves. Reduced fertility rates and elevated chances of birth abnormalities could also have an impact on reproductive health.
Air Pollution’s Impact on Vulnerable Groups
Everyone’s health is impacted by air pollution; however, some populations may be more negatively affected than others. These are called the vulnerable groups.
Children are particularly at risk because their lungs are still developing, and they inhale more air relative to their body weight compared to adults.
Older adults also face greater danger, as aging often brings weakened lung function and compromised immune systems.
Individuals with pre-existing respiratory illnesses such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are especially prone to experiencing worsened symptoms and complications.
If you’re pregnant, pollution can even affect your unborn baby.
Additionally, people who spend extended periods outdoors, including workers and athletes, are more likely to suffer lung damage due to increased inhalation of polluted air.
How to Protect Your Lungs from Air Pollution
In our daily lives, we come into contact with a wide range of pollutants.
Health consequences are influenced by the type of pollutant, its concentration, exposure time, presence of other pollutants, and personal susceptibility. City dwellers are particularly at risk because of the growing needs for manufacturing, energy, and motor vehicles. Occupational exposure is another important factor that must be considered.
Therefore, exposure to air pollution in some form or the other is inevitable.
The following are helpful tips to protect yourself from air pollution:
- Use environmentally friendly paints and cleaning supplies.
- To prevent breathing in contaminated air, schedule your exercise and get an air purifier or indoor plants.
- Use clean cooking fuels instead of chulla.
- Use solar energy instead of electricity.
- Make prudent use of household appliances and install exhaust fans to lower indoor moisture levels.
- Put on pollution masks.
- Maintain a dust-free and tidy home.
- Quit smoking.
- Select eco-friendly goods to reduce environmental pollution.
Medical Advice and When to Seek Help
To protect your health, medical advice is to limit physical exertion, particularly during outdoor activities, if you experience symptoms like coughing or a sore throat. Older adults and individuals with heart or lung conditions should be especially cautious and avoid strenuous activity on days when air quality is poor or very poor.
Air pollution exposure can cause asthma attacks or exacerbate pre-existing symptoms in people with asthma. Regular and prompt treatments under medical supervision are advised if you have COPD or asthma.
If you have chronic coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or chest pain, seek medical attention right away.
Conclusion
Currently, millions of people’s health is impacted by air pollution. The health of our heart and lungs are among the many organs that might be harmed by air pollution. It may affect our health in both the short and long term. Children, the elderly, and persons with respiratory conditions are among the categories most susceptible to the negative effects of air pollution. One can defend themselves against the negative effects of air pollution in a number of ways.
Seek medical attention right away if you are experiencing troubling symptoms due to the effects of air pollution.