The effect of air pollution in the environment and the Public health

Abstract

One of our era's greatest scourges is air pollution, on account not only of its impact on climate
change but also its impact on public and individual health due to increasing morbidity and
mortality. There are many pollutants that are major factors in disease in humans. Among them,
Particulate Matter (PM), particles of variable but very small diameter, penetrate the respiratory
system via inhalation, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, reproductive and central
nervous system dysfunctions, and cancer. Despite the fact that ozone in the stratosphere plays a
protective role against ultraviolet irradiation, it is harmful when in high concentration at ground
level, also affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular system. Furthermore, nitrogen oxide,
sulfur dioxide, Volatile Organic Compounds , dioxins, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Pare allconsidered air pollutants that are harmful to humans. Carbon monoxide can even provoke
direct poisoning when breathed in at high levels. Heavy metals such as lead, when absorbed into
the human body, can lead to direct poisoning or chronic intoxication, depending on exposure.
Diseases occurring from the aforementioned substances include principally respiratory problems
such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease asthma, bronchiolitis, and also lung cancer,
cardiovascular events, central nervous system dysfunctions, and cutaneous diseases. Last but not
least, climate change resulting from environmental pollution affects the geographical distribution
of many infectious diseases, as do natural disasters. The only way to tackle this problem is
through public awareness coupled with a multidisciplinary approach by scientific experts;
national and international organizations must address the emergence of this threat and propose
sustainable solutions The interactions between humans and their physical surroundings have
been extensively studied, as multiple human activities influence the environment. The
environment is a coupling of the biotic living organisms and microorganisms and the abiotic
hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere.Pollution is defined as the introduction into the
environment of substances harmful to humans and other living organisms. Pollutants are harmful
solids, liquids, or gases produced in higher than usual concentrations that reduce the quality of
our environment .Human activities have an adverse effect on the environment by polluting the
water we drink, the air we breathe, and the soil in which plants grow. Although the industrial
revolution was a great success in terms of technology, society, and the provision of multiple
services, it also introduced the production of huge quantities of pollutants emitted into the air that
are harmful to human health. Without any doubt, the global environmental pollution is
considered an international public health issue with multiple facets. Social, economic, and
legislative concerns and lifestyle habits are related to this major problem. Clearly, urbanization
and industrialization are reaching unprecedented and upsetting proportions worldwide in our era.
Anthropogenic air pollution is one of the biggest public health hazards worldwide, given that it
accounts for about 9 million deaths per year .Without a doubt, all of the aforementioned are
closely associated with climate change, and in the event of danger, the consequences can be
severe for mankind. Climate changes and the effects of global planetary warming seriously affect
multiple ecosystems, causing problems such as food safety issues, ice and iceberg melting,
animal extinction, and damage to plants 
 Intrudoction

Air pollution is an environmental issue that negatively affects the ecosystem. Humans are wired
to think about what happens to them in the current time and very few tend to think about the
future. As industries, agro farms and human activity continue to contribute to air pollution,
people are not affected immediately and therefore do not participate in control and prevention
programs. Air is one of the most valuable gift from Mother Earth because all animate and
inanimate objects on earth depend on it for survival. Without air, animals and humans would not
have the privilege to breathe and plants would not have air exchange processes. The future of
human and animal life will be doomed by the increasing pollutants being released to the
atmosphere. The accumulation of pollutants in the next ten years will have deleterious effects
because a combination of toxic chemicals, radiations and harmful gases will have been
accumulated. Climate change will be unnatural and dangerous, for e.g., the rise of sea level,
intense global warming effects, and extreme of drought and storms. Would the earth be habitable
with these crazy effects? When these extremities of climate change are reached, it would be
irreversible. Food supply chain will also be adversely affected because plants will have toxins
due to acid rain and therefore diseases and death will result from consumption of these toxins.
The economy will be negatively affected because health will deteriorate as well as the quality of
items for trade especially food crops. Air pollution prevention programs are ineffective due to
challenges. Finances are inadequate especially for developing countries to achieve the goals of
air pollution prevention. The government and individuals lack the motivation due to misplaced
priorities and policies.One of our era's greatest scourges is air pollution, on account not only of
its impact on climate change but also its impact on public and individual health due to increasing
morbidity and mortality. There are many pollutants that are major factors in disease in humans.
Among them, Particulate Matter, particles of variable but very small diameter, penetrate the
respiratory system via inhalation, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, reproductive
and central nervous system dysfunctions, and cancer. Despite the fact that ozone in the
stratosphere plays a protective role against ultraviolet irradiation, it is harmful when in high
concentration at ground level, also affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular system.
Furthermore, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, Volatile Organic Compounds , dioxins, and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are all considered air pollutants that are harmful to
humans. Carbon monoxide can even provoke direct poisoning when breathed in at high levels.
Heavy metals such as lead, when absorbed into the human body, can lead to direct poisoning or
chronic intoxication, depending on exposure. Diseases occurring from the aforementioned
substances include principally respiratory problems such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease, asthma, bronchiolitis, and also lung cancer, cardiovascular events, central nervous
system dysfunctions, and cutaneous diseases. Last but not least, climate change resulting from
environmental pollution affects the geographical distribution of many infectious diseases, as do
natural disasters. The only way to tackle this problem is through public awareness coupled with a
multidisciplinary approach by scientific experts; national and international organizations must
address the emergence of this threat and propose sustainable solutions.
 Discussion
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to
the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials.
There are many different types of air pollutants, such as gases such as ammonia, carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, methane, carbon
dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons, particulates (both organic and inorganic), and biological
molecules. Air pollution may cause diseases, allergies and even death to humans; it may also
cause harm to other living organisms such as animals and food crops, and may damage
the natural environment (for example, climate change, ozone depletion or habitat degradation)
or built environment (for example, acid rain). Both human activity and natural processes can
generate air pollution. Air pollution is a significant risk factor for a number of pollution-related
diseases, including respiratory infections, heart disease, COPD, stroke and lung cancer.[1] The
human health effects of poor air quality are far reaching, but principally affect the body's
respiratory system and the cardiovascular system. Individual reactions to air pollutants depend
on the type of pollutant a person is exposed to, the degree of exposure, and the individual's health
status and genetics.[2] Indoor air pollution and poor urban air quality are listed as two of the
world's worst toxic pollution problems in the 2008 Blacksmith Institute World's Worst Polluted
Places report.[3] Outdoor air pollution alone causes 2.1 to 4.21 million deaths annually. Overall,
air pollution causes the deaths of around 7 million people worldwide each year, and is the
world's largest single environmental health risk. The scope of the air pollution crisis is enormous:
90% of the world's population breathes dirty air to some degree. Although the health
consequences are extensive, the way the problem is handled is often haphazard. Productivity
losses and degraded quality of life caused by air pollution are estimated to cost the world
economy $5 trillion per year. Various pollution control technologies and strategies are available
to reduce air pollution. To reduce the impacts of air pollution, both international and national
legislation and regulation have been implemented to regulate air pollution. Local laws where
well enforced in cities have led to strong public health improvements. At the international level
some of these efforts have been successful, for example the Montreal Protocol which successful
at reducing release of harmful ozone depleting chemicals or 1985 Helsinki Protocol which
reduced sulfur emissions, while other attempts have been less rapid in implementation, such
as international action on climate change. An air pollutant is a material in the air that can have
adverse effects on humans and the ecosystem. The substance can be solid particles, liquid
droplets, or gases. A pollutant can be of natural origin or man-made. Pollutants are classified as
primary or secondary. Primary pollutants are usually produced by processes such as ash from a
volcanic eruption. Other examples include carbon monoxide gas from motor vehicle exhausts
or sulfur dioxide released from factories. Secondary pollutants are not emitted directly. Rather,
they form in the air when primary pollutants react or interact. Ground level ozone is a prominent
example of a secondary pollutant. Some pollutants may be both primary and secondary: they are
both emitted directly and formed from other primary pollutants.Carbon dioxide  Because of its
role as a greenhouse gas it has been described as "the leading pollutant" and "the worst climate
pollutant".[18] Carbon dioxide is a natural component of the atmosphere, essential for plant life
and given off by the human respiratory system.[19] This question of terminology has practical
effects, for example as determining whether the U.S. Clean Air Act is deemed to regulate CO
Sulfur oxides particularly sulfur dioxide, a chemical compound with the formula SO2. SO2 is
produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Coal and petroleum often contain
sulfur compounds, and their combustion generates sulfur dioxide. Further oxidation of SO2,
usually in the presence of a catalyst such as NO2, forms H2SO4, and thus acid rain is formed.[2]
This is one of the causes for concern over the environmental impact of the use of these fuels as
power sources.
Conclusion

There are many attempts made at various levels in society to curb the causes of air pollution. Let
us also be responsible for maintaining a safe environment. Air pollution is the process of
releasing any toxic particles into the air that lowers its quality. These toxic particles are called
pollutants. Some of them are natural, such as dirt, pollens, fog, sand, volcanic eruptions, etc.
Whereas the examples of the man-made pollutants are smokes from industries and vehicles,
combustion gases, chlorofluorocarbons from refrigerators, burning of coals, oils, and other fossil
fuels, etc. Tremendous cutting of trees and drastic growth rate in the industrialization sector have
turned air pollution into the biggest problem for the human race. The consequences of the rapidly
deteriorating air quality are clearly visible in the form of several profound damages. Diseases
like asthma, lung cancer, cancer, kidney and liver infections, etc., are repercussions of air
pollution. Not only has it led to serious health problems for human beings but affected the
wildlife as well. Many of the flora and fauna, especially the marine life, are becoming extinct
due to the high contaminants present in the air.The excessive sulfur present in the air gets mixed
with the rain. As a result of this acid rain, the soil quality diminishes and the survival of the
fishes, plants, and microorganisms becomes difficult. Air pollution also leads to deforestation,
acid rains, depletion of the ozone layer, and global warming.

Reference

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7044178/

https://www.thewisdompost.com/essay/air-pollution-essay/3336

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution