Air Pollution Talk

You can’t see radon. And you can’t smell it or taste it. But it may be a problem in your home.

Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. That’s because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

Radon can be found all over the U.S.

Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building – homes, offices, and schools – and result in a high indoor radon level. But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time.

You should test for radon.

Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. EPA also recommends testing in schools.

Testing is inexpensive and easy – it should only take a few minutes of your time. Millions of Americans have already tested their homes for radon.

Source:  http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html

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

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.