APES Air pollution

Asbestos

It is a long, thin, fibrous silicate mineral with insulating properties.Effects: It can causes respiratory diseases such as asbestosis and lung cancer found in very high rates among those who have mined asbestos. Causes: Asbestos is not dangerous until it is burned. When insulating materials become old or damaged or disrupted, however, the finn fibers can become airborne and cancer the respiratory tract. Now it is used in older buildings, including schools. Solutions: Using trained and qualified contractors for control measures that many disturb asbestos and for cleanup.

Ozone

Effects: It reduces lung function and exacerbates respiratory symptoms. A degrading agent to plant surfaces. It also damages materials such as rubber and plastic. Causes: Its human-derived source is the secondary pollutant formed by the combination of sunlight, water, oxygen, VOCs, and NOx.Solutions: to avoid using ozone products or to avoid the combination of sunlight, water and oxygen, VOCs and NOx.

Lead

Sources: Its human-derived sources can be gasoline additive, oil and gasoline, coal, old paint. Effects: It impairs central nervous system. At low concentrations, it can have measurable effects on learning and ability to concentrate. Solutions: We may reduce the amount of gasoline or coal, oil we are using each day.

Formaldehyde

Causes/ uses: It is widely used to manufacture a variety of building products such as particle board and carpeting clue. It is common in new homes and made from pressed wood foam insulation furniture stuffing carpeting glue such as cabinets. Effects: A high enough concentration in a confine space can cause a burning sensation in the eyes & throat & breathing difficulties & asthma in people. It can also cause concern in the lab animals and is suspected of a human carcinogen. Solutions: To avoid formaldehyde, we should try to avoid direct contact with it. Avoid bulk storage indoors. Keep amount in storage to a minimum. Store in the original, labelled, shipping container. Comply with all applicable health and safety regulations, fire and building codes. These are the few ways to try to avoid formaldehyde accidents.

Carbon Monoxide CO

Causes: Fuel-burning space heaters and furnaces. Portable generators, Wood-burning stoves and Car and truck engines. Effects: Carbon dioxide bonds to hemoglobin thereby interfering with oxygen transport in the bloodstream. It also causes headaches in humans at low concentration; it can cause death when prolonged exposure at high concentrations. Its human-derived sources is the incomplete combustion of any kind, malfunctioning exhaust systems, and poorly ventilated cooking fires.Solution: Newly installed gas heating appliances must be "sealed combustion" or "direct vent," where exhaust and air supplies are completely sealed from inside a home.

Carbon Monoxide

Causes: In the body, carbon monoxide binds with hemoglobin more efficiently than oxygen, thereby interfering with oxygen transport in the blood. common indoor cause is when cars in attached garages, especially when the engine is being warmed up. Outdoor sources are Vehicle exhaust, Industrial processes and Fuel combustion in incinerators and boilers.Effects: Extended exposure to high concentrations of carbon monoxide in air can lead to oxygen deprivation in the brain and ultimately death of people. Solutions: In order to reduce exposure, Dd not burn any type of fuel in the home except firewood in an appropriately maintained and ventilated fireplace. Leave garage doors open while the car is running and limit the amount of time a running car is in the garage.

Nitrogen Oxide NO2

Causes: Its human derived sources are all combustion in the atmosphere including fossil fuel combustion, wood, and other biomass burning. Atmospheric nitrogen oxides play a role in forming tropospheric ozone and other components of photochemical smog. Effects: It is respiratory irritant, increases susceptibility to respiratory infection. An ozone precursor, leads to formation of photochemical smog. Converts to nitric acid in atmosphere, which is harmful to aquatic life and some vegetation. It also contributes to over-fertilizing terrestrial and aquatic systems.Solution: tips for producing less combustion: • When air quality is healthy, bike or walk instead of driving. • Limit engine idling. • Keep car, boat, and other engines tuned up. • Inflate car tires to the recommended pressure. • Conserve energy at home and at work.

Merucry

Causes: Mercury can be sources of coal, oil and gold mining.Effects: It impairs central nervous system. It bioaccumulates in the food chain, which can then lead to the disruption of food web and contributes to the decrease of biodiversity. Solutions: The primary strategies include source reduction and recycling or waste minimization. Waste that cannot be recycled must then be treated, and the final and last resort is disposal and release.

Particulate Matter

Causes: Particulate Matter often comes from wood burning and all mobile vehicles, especially those with diesel engines, road dust, certain industries, furnaces, and tobacco smoke. Effects: small particles less than10 micrometers in diameter pose the greatest problems, because they can get deep into your lungs, and some may even get into your bloodstream and can then harm our body. This also has a lot effects on environment. Particles can be carried over long distances by wind and then settle on ground or water, thus making lakes and streams acidic and depleting the nutrients in soil. Acidification can then lead to die out of species that have low tolerance and therefore affects the diversity of ecosystems. Solution: the solution to the particle matter would be to burn less wood or use less vehicle when possible. To avoid the exposure of particulate matter, we may also try to stay in the house or buildings more.

Radon

Causes: Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally from the decay of uranium, exists in granitic and some other rocks and soils in many parts of the world. Effects: Humans can receive significant exposure to radon if it seeps into a home through cracks in the foundation or soil, or from drinking the water from underlying rock, soil, or groundwater. If radon levels are determined to be high, it is important to increase ventilation in the home. Other relatively inexpensive actions, such as sealing cracks in the basement, can be beneficial if radon is coming from underlying soil and bedrock.There are few ways to reduce radon in your home: 1. Draws radon from beneath the house and vents it away from the house through pipes. 2. Sealing Cracks & Openings Sealing alone doesn't usually lower radon levels, but it can limit the flow of radon into a home and reduce the loss of air that's been conditioned, so it helps make other types of reduction techniques more effective.3. Using a fan to create pressure differences that help keep radon from entering the house.

Sulfur Dioxide SO2

Causes: Sulfur dioxide often comes from the emissions of the factories or vehicles. Sulfur dioxide is a corrosive gas that cones primarily from combustion of fuels such as coal and oil. It is a respiratory irritant and can exacerbate asthma and other respiratory ailments. Effects: SO2 gas can harm stomates and other plant tissue as well. Sulfur dioxide is also released in large quantities during volcanic eruptions and can be released, though in much smaller quantities, during forest fires. It can also converts to sulfuric acid in atmosphere, which is harmful to aquatic life and some vegetation. Its human-derived sources can be combustion of fuels that contain sulfur, including coal, oil, gasoline.Solution: the best way to reduce sulfur dioxide is to reduce the emission or to use wet scrubber to mitigate sulfur dioxide.

Volatile organic compounds VOC

It is the precursor to ozone formation. Causes: Its human used sources can be the evaporation of fuels, solvents, paints; improper combustion of fuels such as gasoline.Effects on human health: Some VOCs and SVOCs are odorous and some are suspected causes of adverse health effects. The health effects cover a broad range including sensory irritation symptoms, allergies and asthma, neurological and liver toxicity, and cancer.Solutions: Avoid products with high VOC content/ Allow new products to off-gas before bringing them into the home/ Ventilate/ Control room climate