Health Impacts of Air Quality
Educating our community about air quality.
Health Impacts of Air Pollution
Most people don’t know the extent of the air quality’s impact on health. Even less are aware that you don’t need to be exposed to air pollution for a long period of time to develop health issues. The hazardous duration of exposure varies with different air pollutants. In some cases, the effects of air pollution can be felt just minutes after exposure.
Breathing in air pollutants can lead to inflammation, mutagenicity, and can weaken the immune system, affecting organs like the lungs, heart, and brain. In fact, almost every organ in the body can be negatively affected by air pollutants. Small contaminants like fine particulate matter are able to enter the blood stream. These contaminants circulate around the entire body, leading to inflammation and cancer.
The inflammation and oxidative stress caused by pollutants directly target cells, creating the basis for the formation of chronic diseases. In 2013, the World Health Organization classified air pollution as a human carcinogen (anything that causes cancer).
Some major diseases linked to air pollution are stroke, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, and heart disease. There is also evidence connecting exposure to contaminants with various cancers, neurological disease, and diabetes.
Children and the elderly are at the highest risk of developing diseases due to air pollution. Exposure can also negatively affect birth outcomes. Air pollution has extreme negative impacts on health. In order to protect the health of our community, we must take all necessary measures to keep the air clean.