Facts about how car pollution affects our health
Air pollution remains a serious threat to the planet and humans. However, it is not taken seriously. Annually, the damage on the quality of air continues to diminish. The most vulnerable are seniors and youngest in the society. Unfortunately, no one is insusceptible to the effects of the air condition.
Below are facts and statistics about air pollution:
1. More than 50,00 people in America die from pollutants
2. Almost 80% of lung diseases result from, air pollutants from automobiles
3. Nearly 750,000 people exposed to car pollution encounter premature deaths.
4. Research done by MIT reveals that 13,000 UK residents die annually from air pollution
5. When in traffic, pollutants enter your vehicle. Thus, stagnant air in your car is 10 x worse than air on the outside.
So, how does car pollution affect people’s health and cause disastrous effects?
Nitrogen Oxide
Car pollutants are inclusive of nitrogen dioxide which is a deep lung irritant. Burning of fossils fuels, which cars use, emit nitrogen oxide. If inhaled in significant levels, it leads to pulmonary edema. However, it can lead to serious theological problems.
Therefore, it leads to suppressed lung growth when ingested by children. Also, exhaust fumes lead to heart diseases, asthma and worse, type 2 diabetes. Effects on expectant women include affected fetal brain growth.
The typical symptoms are coughing and wheezing. It can also manifest itself through nose, ear or throat irritations, chest pains, bronchospasms or dyspnea.
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide leads to complicated health effects if inhaled in high amounts. Its effects include respiratory dysfunction and irritation. In high amounts, it may lead to heart-related conditions. Sulfur is usually absorbed into the upper airways. Since it is a sensory irritant, sulfur leads to mucus secretion and bronchospasm.
Sulfur is greatly ingested when one breathes using the mouth than when using the nose. Hence, people who exercise along highways are at a higher risk of suffering its adverse effects. After sulfur enters your body, it attaches to a surface lining and turns to bisulfite or sulfite. That way, it is easily transported through your body. It reaches sensory receptors and causes irritation.
Carbon monoxide
Exhaust from cars emits carbon monoxide, an odorless and colorless gas. Carbon monoxide has a high affinity to hemoglobin. Hemoglobin attaches typically to oxygen, to help transport it to the body tissues. However, carbon monoxide has a higher efficiency than oxygen. Carbon monoxide attaches to hemoglobin and becomes carboxyhemoglobin.
Research done has not indicated any effects for people who inhale less than 2% of it. Nonetheless, those living in areas experiencing high levels of pollution may inhale more than 40%; which is fatal. Therefore, depending on the concentration, inhaling polluted air may lead to poisoning. The symptoms include weakness, vomiting dizziness, nausea and even loss of consciousness. Thus, it minimizes the amount of oxygen the body releases to your body tissues.
Lead
Car engines, especially those that use petrol emit lead. Lead is a dense and toxic metal. A research conducted on the level of lead in traffic officers’ blood show that cars emit high levels of lead.
It has adverse effects on infants. When ingested, it accumulates in the soft tissue, blood, and bones. Usually, the body does not excrete lead; hence it gets to the liver, kidneys, and nervous system.
The amount of lead your body ingests depends on the concentration in the area. Most of the lead particles in the air can be retained in the body when ingested. Maintained absorption occurs through the alveoli and induces toxicity.
Lead, being a heavy metal, leads to adverse effects on children. It may result in learning disabilities, mental retardation, hyperactivity, memory impairment and antisocial activities.
Sometimes exposure to lead may be chronic and fail to present symptoms. It may affect different organs or body parts such as the reproductive system, renal and cardiovascular system. However, it mainly affects the nervous system.
In the nervous system, it affects the normal functioning of the body`s intracellular second messenger through inhibiting receptors. Symptoms associated with lead poisoning include irritability, constipation, and aggression.
Other effects include
* Impaired body immune system
* Increases risk of contracting cancer
* Healthy active children will be exposed to asthma
* Leads to congenital disabilities such as infant deaths or low birth weight
Final Words
Children and senior adults are at a higher risk of suffering air pollution conditions. Cars make a significant contribution to the environment. Pollutants from cars exhaust and fuel may lead to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases and harm the newborns. To read more about car pollution and its effect on your health, you can visit https://www.carcover.com