Air, noise radiation - environmental health

Air, noise radiation

1. Air, Noise, and Light
Pollution
Chapter 12 Section 2

2. Air, Noise, and Light
Pollution
•The very young and very old with heart or lung
problems are most susceptible.
•Death certificates will list diseases like emphysema
and lung cancer instead of air pollution.
•Americans pay tens of billions of dollars annually to
treat respiratory diseases caused by air pollution.

3. Short Term Effects of
Air Pollution on Health
•Many effects of air pollution are short-term and
reversible IF exposure decreases.
•Short-term effects include headache, nausea,
irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, tightness
in the chest, coughing, and upper respiratory
infections like bronchitis and pneumonia.
•People who have asthma and emphysema can
have symptoms worsen.

4. Long Term Health
Effects of Air Pollution
•Long term effects include emphysema, lung
cancer, and heart disease.
•Long term exposure may worsen symptoms
especially in older people

5. Sick Building
Syndrome
•Chemicals used to make carpets, building materials,
paints, and furniture are the major sources of indoor
pollutants.
•Buildings that have very poor air quality have a
condition called sick-building syndrome.
•This is most common in hot places where buildings
are tightly sealed to keep the heat out.
•Identifying and removing the sources of indoor
pollutants is the most effective way to maintain good
indoor air quality.
•Ventilation is necessary for good indoor air quality.

6. Radon Gas
•Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that
is radioactive. It is produced by the decay of
uranium.
•Radon can seep through the cracks and holes in
the foundation of homes, offices, schools, etc.
where it sticks to dust particles.
•In the lungs, radon can destroy the genetic
material in the cells that line air passages.
•Radon is the second leading cause of lung
cancer in the U.S.

7. Asbestos
•Several minerals that form in long, thin fibers and that
are valued for their strength and resistance to heat
are called asbestos.
•Asbestos is primarily used as an insulator and fire
retardant that was used extensively in building
materials.
•The U.S. banned the use of asbestos in the early
1970's.
•Asbestos fibers that are inhaled can cut and scar the
lungs causing asbestosis. People who have this have
difficulty breathing and can die of heart failure.

8. Noise Pollution
•Unwanted sound is noise pollution.
•It is irritating, and it damages our hearing. Hearing
loss has doubled in the U.S. in the past 30 years.
About 12% of teens have permanent hearing loss
likely due to the use of portable listening devices.
The National Institutes of Health say the safe
threshold for MP3 players is 85 dB for 8 hours.
•Sound intensity is measured in decibels (dB).
•Noise pollution can be controlled by devices such
as mufflers on lawn mowers and vehicles.

9. Light Pollution
•Light pollution does not present a direct hazard to
human health.
•Light pollution in urban ares diminishes our view of the
night sky.
•The more important concern of light pollution is
wasted energy.
•Solutions include shields to direct light downward,
using timers, and low-pressure sodium sources which
are more efficient.

10. Copy now, answer later
•Describe the long-term effects and the short-term effects of air pollution
on health.
•Describe two ways in which indoor air pollution can be prevented.
•Describe some of the human health problems caused by noise pollution.
•Describe several solutions to the energy waste associated with light
pollution.
•Molds can grow in new, tightly sealed buildings where the humidity is
high and the ventilation is poor. Explain how you would control the
growth of mold in this type of environment.