Air Pollution Talk

The taste or quality of drinking water can vary from place to place. This is because water comes from different sources and is treated in different ways. Drinking water for people in large cities often comes from lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. In rural areas, people are more likely to drink ground water that was pumped from a well. Most water systems meet EPA standards for tap water. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA sets standards for about 90 pollutants in drinking water. The best way to find out about your drinking water is from your water supplier. Water suppliers that serve the same people year-round send their customers an annual water quality report. Contact your water supplier to get a copy. You can also see if your report is posted on-line at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo.htm). Your local report tells which pollutants are in your drinking water, the source, and the levels at which they were found. If after reading your report you are concerned, you can call a certified lab in your state to test your drinking water. Find contact information at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/privatewells/labs.html. A water test can cost from $15 to hundreds of dollars. If your water isn’t safe to drink, your water supplier must tell you by radio, TV, or another method. The notice will tell you how to make your drinking water safe, such as boiling your water. This kills most disease-causing germs.

But if you have your own well, you have to make sure that your water is safe to drink. You should test your well at least once a year for bacteria. You should also test more often for other pollutants, such as radon and pesticides.

Source:  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

When sunlight comes into contact with tiny bits or particles of pollution, this causes haze in the air outside. Haze reduces the clearness and color of what we see. Motor vehicles and burning fuel release haze-causing pollution. Other gases released into the air and carried by wind many miles from the pollution source can form haze.

Serious health problems have been linked to some pollutants that cause haze. Breathing problems and even death can also happen after being exposed to very small amounts. In scenic parks and wilderness areas, haze has reduced how much we can see.

Source: Woman’s Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Global warming is an increase in the Earth’s average temperature. This, in turn, causes climate changes. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns and a rise in sea level. It also triggers a wide range of changes in plants, wildlife, and human life. Hotter weather increases “bad” ozone and cause more cases of heat-related problems.

Many common things you do at home and on the road add “greenhouse gases” to the air. These gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trap the heat of the Earth. Just by starting your car and turning on a light, you could be adding to the levels of these gases in the air.

There are things you can do to help protect the environment. These climate savers will reduce your energy use and decrease the levels of greenhouse gases. Find out how your daily life affects global warming and what you can do.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Through the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets limits on how much of a pollutant can be in the air anywhere in the United States. This helps to make sure that all citizens have the same basic protection. But there are still things you can do to help keep yourself and your family safe.

* Protect yourself and your children against sunburn. When the UV index is high or very high, limit being outside between 10am and 4pm. This is when the sun is most intense. Apply a sunscreen with a SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15, twenty minutes before going outside. Put on more sunscreen every two hours or after working or playing. Even waterproof sunscreen can come off when you towel off, sweat, or spend lots of time in the water.
* Wear a hat with a wide brim to protect your eyes, ears, face, and the back of your neck from the sun.
* Wear tightly woven, loose-fitting, and full-length clothing to protect yourself.
* Wear sunglasses that provide 99-100% of UVA (rays not absorbed by ozone) and UVB (rays from the sun which have harmful effects) protection to reduce your chance of cataracts and other eye damage.
* Avoid sunlamps and subheads.
* Check the air quality forecast in your area. At times when the Air Quality Index (AQI) is unhealthy, limit being outdoors to times when ozone levels are not as high. In many places, ozone peaks in mid-afternoon to early evening.
* Conserve energy at home and in the office.
* During the summer, fill your gas tank during the cooler evening hours.
* Reduce driving. Carpool and use public transportation when you can. Walk or bike to reduce ozone pollution, especially on hot summer days.
* Read labels for proper use of household and garden chemicals.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Ozone is a gas that occurs in two layers in the sky. It can be “good” or “bad” for your health and the environment. This depends on where it’s located. The layer closest to the Earth’s surface is the troposphere. Here, ground level or “bad” ozone pollutes the air. It is harmful to breathe and damages crops, trees, and other plant life. Bad ozone is one of the main parts of urban smog. It is of greatest concern during the summer months because strong sunlight and hot weather result in harmful ozone levels in the air we breathe. Many urban and suburban areas have high levels of “bad” ozone. Breathing in “bad” ozone can trigger many health problems, such as:

* chest pain
* coughing
* throat irritation
* congestion

It can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Being exposed over time can even scar lung tissue. Healthy people also have problems breathing when exposed to ozone pollution. Because ozone forms in hot weather, anyone who spends time outdoors in the summer may be affected. This includes children.

The troposphere extends up about six miles. Here it meets the second layer, or the stratosphere. The stratosphere or “good” ozone layer extends upward from about six to 30 miles. It protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet, or UV rays. “Good” ozone is made naturally. But man-made chemicals can destroy it. The substances that destroy it were mostly used in the past in coolants, pesticides, and fire extinguishers. Once released into the air, these substances break down very slowly for years. When they reach the stratosphere, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays break them down. This destroys “good” ozone and causes higher amounts of UV rays to reach the Earth. This can lead to more cases of skin cancer, cataracts, and impaired immune systems in people. UV can also damage sensitive crops, such as soybeans, and reduce crop yields.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

“Acid rain” is a term used to describe the many ways in which acids fall from the sky. Rain, snow, fog, dry gases, and particles may contain acids. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides released by power plants, cars and trucks, and other sources cause acid rain. Acid rain harms plants, animals, fish, and building surfaces. It can also create smog in the air and hurt people’s lungs.

Since the energy used to power modern life (electricity and burning fuels like gas and oil) is the main cause of acid rain, there are many things you can do to stop or reduce its effects.

* Turn off lights, computers, and other appliances when you are not using them.
* Only use electrical appliances when you need them.
* Keep your home well insulated.
* Carpool, use public transportation, or walk or bike when you can.
* Use appliances that are energy efficient.
* Buy vehicles that only give off low levels of nitrogen oxide. Look for electric- or gas- powered or alternative-fueled cars.

Source: U.S. Department of health and Human Services

Proportional to body weight, children eat, breathe, and drink more than adults. So they take in higher concentrations of the toxins in our environment. As children’s bodies develop, especially in the womb and newborns, they are vulnerable to damage from toxic substances. For example, a small amount of certain pesticides during a critical time in a child’s development could impact brain and body function, causing ADHD, reproductive health problems, as well as other problems. Some toxins, like mercury, can build up in body fat and be passed from mother to child during pregnancy or after birth through breast milk.

Office on Women’s Health

The environment

The environment is everything around us wherever we are—at home, at work, or outdoors. It includes, among other things, the air we breathe, the water we drink and use, and the food we eat.

How does the environment affect your health?

Chemicals found in air, water, and soil can cause serious health problems in women and men, such as cancer and problems with the lungs or reproductive system. Children are more at risk than adults for health problems caused by substances in the environment. This is because their immune system, which helps their body fight illness, is not fully mature. They also inhale air more deeply than adults when they breathe, which makes them take in more pollution. Children also spend more time outdoors and are less likely to notice any health problems.

It’s important that you know what things in the environment can affect your health, as well as what you can do to help protect yourself and your family. This fact sheet mostly discusses things in the home environment that can affect a woman’s and her family’s health.

What are the things outdoors that should concern me the most?

There are many sources of pollution outdoors, like gases from cars, dust from tractors, or smoke from fires. Outdoor air pollutants can weaken the protective ozone layer, create smog and acid rain, and cause changes in our climate, which lead to global warming (an increase in the earth’s average temperature). Outdoor air pollution can make you sick. It can cause your eyes and nose to burn, your throat to itch, and even breathing problems. Some chemicals found in polluted air cause cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage, and long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages.

Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.