University of dalat

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES THE EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION Instructor: Hung The Phan Student: Hoa Thi Duong Student’s number: 0711974 Class: AVK31B DALAT-2010 Running head: EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 1 Effects of Air Pollution Hoa Thi Duong University of Dalat EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 3 Table of Content I. Introduction. Thesis statement: The effects of air pollution are on human health; natural ecosystems such as: animal, trees and plants and environment. II. Effects on human health. A. Physical. 1. Ill health and death. 2. Dangerous diseases. B. Mental 1. Stress. 2. Depression. 3. Breakdown. III. Effects on natural ecosystems. A. Effects on animals. 1. Harm animals directly. 2. Change animals’ natural resources. B. Effects on forest, trees and plants. 1. Rain forest destrution. 2. Damage trees and trees. IV. Effects on environment. A. Natural environment. B. Human-based environment. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION V. Conclusion. A. Air pollution affects on human health, natural ecosystems and environment. B. Summary. C. Air pollution fast becoming an issue in booming but we could control this problem and concern the effects on human health first. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 4 EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION INTRODUCTION Some of the largest problems now affecting the world are acid rain, air pollution, global warming, hazardous waste, ozone depletion, smog, water pollution. One of them is air pollution which may be defined as the presence in the atmosphere such as: ozone, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. Air pollution is a problem of growing importance, public interest seems to have risen faster than the level of pollution in recent years. (Lave and Seskin, 1970). The effects of air pollution which are diverse and numerous can have serious consequeces for the health of human beings and also severely affects on natural ecosystems, including animals, forest, trees and plants and environment. Air pollution has both acute and chronic effects on human health. It is responsible for major health effects. The damages to human health caused by air pollution are not only physical health but also mental health. EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH First, air pollution affects on human’s physical health. “That it causes ill health and death is well recognized” (Mishra, 2003, p.5). Everyday, the average person inhales about 20.000 liters of air. Everytime, we breathe, we risk inhaling dangerous chemicals that have found their way into the air. There are many different chemicals in the air affecting the human body in negative ways. Just how sick people will get depending on what chemicals they are exposed to, in what concentrations and for how long. Because many people are exposed to so many potentially dangerous pollutants, it is often hard to know exactly which pollutants are responsible for causing sickness. Also, because a EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 5 mixture of different pollutants can intensify sickness, it is often difficult to isolate those pollutants that are at fault. Many diseases could be caused by air pollution without their becoming apparent for a long time. Air pollutants enter our body primarily through the respiratory system which thus becomes their main victim. And air pollution can affect on our health in many ways with both short-term acute effects and long-term chronic effects We can distinguish between short-term acute and long-term chronic effects of air pollution. Short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat and upper respiratory infections such as: brochitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea and allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can make appearance extremely serious diseases such as: asthma, emphysema. In the great “Smog Disaster” in London in 1952, four thousand people died in a few days due to the high concentratins of pollution. Long-term effects can include chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, heart diseases and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver and kidneys. Consequently, the physical health of countless people is ruined or endangered by air pollution every year. Lave and Seskin said that few scientists would be surprised to find that air pollution is assiociated with respiratory diseases of many sorts, including lung cancer and emphysema. Studies have estimated that the number of people is anually killed in the United States alone could be over 50.000. Specially with older people who are highly vulnerable to sickness and death by air pollution. In addition, children and infants are also at serious risk. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 6 According to “Environmental Science” by Travis Wagner and Robert Sanford, the air we breathe is actually a combination of many gases the major components of air percentage of volumn are: nitrogen 78.08%, oxygen 20.95%, argon 0.93% and carbon dioxide 0.03%. Moreover, air pollution can also indirectly affect human health through acid rain by polluting drink water and entering the food chain, through global warming and associated climate change and sea level rise. Second, air pollution affects on human’s mental health presenting by the symptoms such as: stress, depression and breakdown. Stress, including negative emotions is the result of air pollution affecting on human’s mental health. At that time, people feel anxious, easily annoyed, helpless, hopeless and angry. When they have coped with stress, they are easily coped with the feelings of depression and breakdown.. First, “Depression is one of the most widespread emotional problems, and it undouteadly has many causes” (Wallace and Stein, 1997, p.565). When people had the depressive problems, they feel very sad and axious. In addition, they often have physical symptoms such as: unable to sleep, easily annoyed, lack of interst, emotional pain, pessimistic, ect. Moreover, depression make many people have the feelings of despondency, powerlessness and hopelessness. These feelings are usually supported by self-critical, negative thoughts. Specially, hope is among the most important of all human emotions. When people have hoped about something in the life, they would have had positive beliefs, such as: optimism, confidence, patience and a sense of meaning and EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 7 control. In constrast, when people are hopeless, they feel pessimistic, failed, sad and alone. At that time, they have to cope with difficult challenges in the life. Another common problem of the depressive people is the break up of an intimate relationship, either with a former boyfriend, girlfriend or with the others. Many people have abused alcohol drinkings affecting seriously on their health. Second, breakdown is the result of stress which is caused by air pollution affecting on human’s mental health. It makes people loss of mental health, be lack of concentration on working. Sometimes, breakdown causes extremely serious emotional shocks for a great number of people. At that time, people are lack of attenton on studying, working, entertaining, going picnic and sightseeing, etc. In short, stress, depression and breakdown cause the extremely serious results for the human. EFFECTS ON NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS Air pollution is mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels. Large amount of carbon dioxide and harmful molecules are released into the atmosphere, which affects ecosystems, plants life and wildlife. “Air pollution such as: ozone, nitrogen oxides and sufur dioxide also have harmful effect on natural ecosystems” (Caroline, David, Michael, Mindy, Franklin and Vikas, 1999, p.28). Animals can be directly affected by air pollution in three ways. They can breathe in gases or small particles just like humans, can eat particles in food or water, or absorb gases through the skin. Earthworms and other soft-bodied invertebrates, or animals with thin, moist skin are the ones mainly affected by absorbing pollution. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 8 Ground level ozone can be harmful to animals in many of the same ways that it is harmful to humans. Air pollution also effects the breathing of animals. Particlates can cause many problems for wildlife. Particulates can be especially dangerous when they contain metal, in which case they can build up at high levels in the body tissues of animals. “Pollutants can harm animals directly and also combine with other facts that change animals’ natural resources” (Kennedy, 1994, p.26). There are also indirect effects of pollution that impact wildlife. Acid rain is a combination of sulfuric acid and water that occurs in clouds. It changes the acidity of the water that animals live in and drink from and can decrease the amount of trees that provide shelter, which both create serious problems for wildlife. Global warming is also a big threat to wildlife. There are tons of websites dedicated to providing information on the threats that are facing wildlife in the midist of today’s changing climate. The damage of air polllution to animals and their natural resources is the reason for affecting on forests, trees and plants. First, rain forest destruction is the result of air pollution damaging the forest. The forest is the great natural resources because of its benefits. But it is being destroyed by many reasons. One of them is air pollution which makes appearance tropical rain forest. When the forest is destroyed by air pollution, it would damage a great number of trees and plants. Some green plants and trees living in the forest are extremely serious harmed. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 9 Acid rain, which is the result of air pollution can directly affect not only anmals but also on forests, trees and plants. “Acid rain can harm of kill trees and wildlife” (Kennedy, 1994, p.36). It also can kill trees, destroy the leaves of plants. In brief, air pollution affects on forests, trees and plants life which in turn affects on animals. Because plants and insects are a good source of animals so damage to either can harm wildlife. EFFECTS ON ENVIRONMENT Finally, air pollution is any form of airborne pollution that affects on the enviroment. Environmental pollution is contamination of air, water and land from human made waste. Pollution leads to depletion of ozone layer, global warming and climate change. Generally, environment consists of natural and built environment. Natural environment, encompasses all living and non-living occuring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all things species. When natural environment is changed by air pollution, it has influenced on natural resources such as: water, climate as well as energy, radiation, electric charge, human, etc. Air pollution, including climate change harm soil, water resources (Wellburn,1994). Water pollution includes surface run off leakage into groundwater, liquid spills, waste water discharge and littering. If toxins are spilled on the ground of an underground storage tank leaks, soil can become contaminated. Well-known contaminants include herbicides and pesticides. Toxic waste is waste material often in chemical form, which pollutes the natural environment and contaminates groundwater. Other types of pollution include ocean pollution and noise pollution. Enviromental pollution can have a deadly EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 10 effect on humans and ecosystems. For example, cigarette smoke, including second-hand smoke causes cancer, emphysema, stroke and heart attrack. Drinking water can become contaminated by untreated sewage, rashes and skin problems occur due to oil spills, while excessive noise can cause hearing loss. The U.S Environment Protection Agency (EFA) was established in 1970 to put a limit on the amount of pollutants in the air. Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1963, the Noise Control Act in 1972 and the Clean Water Act in 1977. Pollution is a bigger concern in other parts of the world, especially developing countries. Time Magazine reported in 2007 that the most polluted spots in the world included China, Peru and Russia. Air pollution has reached such as critical stage where it affects the earth’s atmosphere as it lets in more harmful radiation from the sun. Consequently, our polluted atmosphhere in becoming a better insulator. Thus, preventing heat from escaping back into space. That is why there is a global rise in temperature which scientists refer to as “global warming”. As a result of this rise in temperature the world food supply and sea level in the tropical disease. Contrasting with the natural environment is the built environment originating from human activities. The built environment includes both the buildings in which people spend their time such as: home, school, workplace, recreational facilities, shops and malls and the broaded built environment of human settlements (villages, towns, suburbs and cities). It is not only a physical environment but also a social environment. Air pollution also damages the built environment. As a result, the built environment is now the most EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 11 popular concern for human, especially in the developed world. “Air pollution is actually harmful substances in the atmosphere which damages the environment” (Brimblecombe, 2003, p.448). With the development of factories, came along the increase in air pollution. Air pollution can occur in side homes, schools, offices even in the countryside. Consequently, there has been an increase in the death rates resulting from different diseases caused by air pollution, varying from breathing problem to lung cancer. Air pollution damages materials but it has changed drammatically in the past century, with a reduction in the concentration of corrosive primary pollutants in urban atmosphere. At the same time,architectual styles and types of materials have changed, as we have moved to more organnically rich, photo chemically active atmosphere. Air pollution is the release of chemicals and particles, for example: chemicals orairborne particles, which are harmful both to the human and animals health as well as the health of the wider environment. Atmospheric pollution occurs because the release of air pollution takes place at the rate much faster than they can be accommodated by the environment and removed from the atmosphere without causing serious harm. Pollution had been known to exist for centuries, but it became an issue of serious concern only the last 200 years or so mostly due to the industrial revolution. Atmospheric pollution originate from all the parts of the world and travels around knowing no borders. CONCLUSION 12 In conclusion, air pollution is one of the major problems of the world today. It has influenced on the health of human beings, natural ecosystems and environment. Because, air pollution is located in the atmosphere, it is able to travel easily. As a result, air pollution is a global problem and has been the subject of global cooperation and conflict. Some areas now suffer more than other from air pollution. Cities with large numbers of automobiles or those that use great quantities of coal often suffer most severely from problems of air pollution. Consequently, we have to control air pollution to improve the air quality. Especially, we should concern with protecting human health because the damages to human health of air pollution are extremely serious. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 2 Abstract Of course, air pollution would not be such a big problem if it was not for its harmful effects on humans, animals, trees and the wider environment. But in recent years, we know that air pollution fast becoming an issue in booming all over the world. Nowadays, human are coping many extremely serious effects from air pollution. Air pollution injuries human health and great damages natural ecosystems and wider environment (Siciliano, 2002) Key words: extremely serious effects, human health, natural ecosystems,wider environment, big problem. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION 13 References Lave, B. L & Seskin, P. E. (1970) The Effect of Air Pollution on Human Health. Air Pollution and Human Health. 39-47 Mishra, V. (2003). Health Effects of Air Pollution. Air Pollution. 151-156 Kennedy, D. (1999). Effects of Air Pollution on Animals. Air Pollution. 45-56 Siciliano, P. (2002). Sensor for Environmental Control. Environment. 153-157 Wallace, M. P & Stein, G. H. J. (1997). Health, Stress and Coping. Introduction to Psychology. 549-570 Brimblecombe, P. (2003). The Effects of Air Pollution on The Built Environment. Air Pollution. 448-452