Air pollutions

Traffic-related air pollution - Interesting facts

Cars and other vehicles release different air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ultrafine particles and volatile organic compounds. that can have negative effects on not only our environment but also on human health. High traffic means bigger air pollution, and latest study has revealed that traffic-related pollution near schools is having significant impact to the development of asthma in kids. In fact the study has showed that children in schools located in high-traffic environments had a 45 percent increased risk of developing asthma. Asthma, a chronic childhood disease is lately experiencing an increasing trend in developing countries, and one of the main reasons for this is air pollution. Scientists have also discovered that the risk associated with traffic-related pollution exposure at schools was almost as high as for residential exposure, and combined exposure accounting for time spent at home and at school had a slightly larger effect. Another interesting study found that traffic-related air pollution can even be linked to a higher death rate among people who initially survived strokes. Some recent estimates say that traffic pollution is the cause of tens of thousands of deaths every year across Europe. Also traffic fumes are held responsible for more than 25,0000 new cases of chronic bronchitis and more than 500,000 asthma attacks each year in Europe.

Traffic-related air pollution is worst on highways. People living close to highways and large roads (the major sources of traffic-related air pollution) die earlier compared to those farther away. Children who are exposed to high levels of traffic-related pollution early in life have six times the risk of developing persistent wheezing by age three than children exposed to low levels of traffic-related pollution.

Air pollution interesting facts

Air pollution is caused by an introduction of different air pollutants that are able to not only cause harm to our environment but also to our health. Harvard School of Public Health has recently come up with the data that approximately 4 percent of all deaths in the United States can be attributed to air pollution. According to the data from the World Health Organization 2.4 million people die each year from causes directly connected with air pollution, with 1.5 million of these deaths being the result of indoor air pollution. The main cause of indoor air pollution is usually the lack of proper ventilation inside your home or office. The lack of air circulation enables indoor air pollutants to accumulate and cause damage to your health. Some studies have showed that on global level more deaths are attributable to air pollution than to automobile accidents. The worst single incident of air pollution in the United States of America happened in Donora, Pennsylvania in year 1948, when 20 people died and over 7,000 were injured. London's "Great Smog" was one of the worst air pollution incidents in history, it caused deaths of more than 4,000 died in just six days, and 8,000 more people died within the next couple of months. Children, elderly people, and people who suffer from respiratory diseases are particularly vulnerable to air pollution. The biggest air polluter in EU is road transport. U.S. Clean Air Act had significant success in curbing air pollution. Thanks to the Clean Air Act in the period between 1970 and 2006 U.S. citizens enjoyed these significant reductions in annual air pollution emissions: * carbon monoxide emissions fell from 197 million tons to 89 million tons * nitrogen oxide emissions fell from 27 million tons to 19 million tons * sulfur dioxide emissions fell from 31 million tons to 15 million tons * particulate emissions fell by 80%