Air pollution greatly affects human health, especially cardiovascular and respiratory system. An individual reactions to air pollutant varies based on the type of substance exposed, health conditions and degree of exposure and even genetic factor of an individual. Air pollutants cause several effects on health. These effects range from physiological and biochemical to breathing problems, aggravation of cardiac and respiratory disorders and cough. If these conditions are untreated, they leads to hospitalization. Sometimes, it results in premature death too.
According to the statistics of Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin valley of Southern California, nearly 3800 people die prematurely each year due to air pollution.
Effects of Air Pollution on Respiratory System:
Air quality that people inhale affects the health. Quality of air impacts lungs health and also the respiratory system. Air also contains other substances like pollutants that are harmful to health, in addition to oxygen. Inhaling the pollutants effects the lungs and also other organs. Particularly, respiratory system is sensitive to pollutants as they are made up of mucus membrane that covers internal membrane. Lungs are designed in such a way that they absorb large amounts of air, that is 400 million liters in lifetime). This facilitates the transport of oxygen.
Air pollutants, like metals, free radicals and ozone damages the cells of lung tissue. Alveoli ( air sac in lungs where oxygen is exchanged and production of carbon dioxide takes place) is damaged by ozone. Especially, airway tissues that contains several bio activation enzymes. These enzymes transform organic pollutants into reactive metabolites that cause injuries to lungs, cancers that also include breast cancer and neurobehavioral disorders. In response to toxic insult, cells in lungs release various potent chemical mediators which critically cause inflammation in lungs and also impair lung function.
