PM 2.5 Pollution Is Poisonous - Essay Example

PM 2.5 Pollution is Poisonous Introduction Particulate Matter mostly referred as PM, is a collection of fine particles either in solid or liquid matter suspended in the atmosphere. These particles normally have a diameter of less than 2.5 µ either naturally or artificially deposited (Sze, 2008). Naturally, they emanate from actions such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires or dust storms. The particles are also formed in the atmosphere through reaction of chemicals such as nitrogen and sulfur dioxides (Sze, 2008). Conversely, the particles can be caused by human activities such as air pollution from factories. The particles are also emitted from the combustion of diesel and natural gas in vehicles. According to Sze (2008), PM2.5 is poisonous hence dangerous especially to the elderly, people suffering from asthma in addition to lung and heart problems. The essay will relay more information on PM 2.5 in addition to the negative effects it has to human health. Particulate Matter (PM) The size of particles is normally measurable by an aerodynamic diameter, which aids in determining the category of a particle. There are three common types of particles; PM 10, PM 2.5 and ultrafine PM (Frumkin, 2010). PM 10 normally refers to particles with a diameter of 10 microns or less whereas PM 2.5 is when the particle has a diameter of 2.5 or less. Conversely, a particle is normally ultrafine if it has up to 0.1 aerodynamic diameters (Frumkin, 2010). In the past decades, many cities in the world have experienced increase air level pollution. Whereas PM 2.5 are inhalable and can easily find its way to the lungs, larger particles PM 10, are also risky to humans since they are capable of penetrating the bronchi into the body (Alpert, Ganor and Stupp, 2009). Particulate matter is transmittable through mineral dust storms (DS). Dust storms are capable of traversing a larger geographical area due to their lightweight. The DS from Arabo-African region are lightweight to the extent that it easy for them to be blown all the way to nations such as Lebanon, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus. Research shows that DS can traverse up to nations like England and Norway (Alpert, Ganor & Stupp, 2009). The mineral poses a great rik to citizens because it is harmful. The mineral has the ability to dissolve with other pollutants like nitrates, sulfates, heavy metals and pesticides. According to research, fine particles are more dangerous compared to coarse particles (PM 10), this because the particles are normally tiny to the extent that they are capable of evading the human’s respiratory system hence finding their way into lung tissues (Sze, 2008). Research also states that PM 2.5 plays a huge role in the high mortality rate that occurs because of respiratory diseases (Ramos-Bonilla, 2009). Harvard Six Cities, a research conducted in 1990 concluded that a positive association existed between high mortality rate and the long-term exposure of human beings to fine particles (Ramos-Bonilla, 2009). Cardiovascular Effects Some of the diseases that emanate from long-term exposure to fine particles include; cardiovascular effects and Heart Rate Variability. Cardiovascular diseases are the main contributors of both morbidity and mortality rate. This is according to research conducted in the US, Europe and China (Ramos-Bonilla, 2009). Some of the cardiovascular diseases that occur due to both long and short-term exposure to fine particles include cardiac arrest, Arrhythmia. The sudden malfunctioning of the heart’s electrical system hence inability of the heart to function properly normally causes cardiac arrest. It is normally a serious disease since it can easily result to sudden death if medication is not sought quickly (American Heart Association, 2013). Conversely, Arrhythmia occurs when there is a sudden change in the heart rhythms, whereby, the heart could start beating at a faster or slower rate than normal (America Heart Association, 2013). Research also shows that the exposure of PM also results to Heart Rate Variability (HRV); this is when there is regular heart beat variation and normally caused by the malfunctioning of the Autonomic Nervous System (Ramos-Bonnila, 2009). The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is the system whose task is controlling of the body’s internal organs such as the heart. The reduction of HRV is normally associated with diseases such as myocardial dysfunction and diabetes neuropathy (Ramos- Bonilla, 2009). Particulate Matter Concentration PM concentration normally vary with locations, for instance, major town and industrial areas are more likely to have a higher concentration of PM 2.5 compared to other areas that are not located in big cities (Frumkin, 2010). The size of a particle is normally the major determinant of how far it is transportable in the atmosphere and where it will be deposited. PM 2.5 is normally of great concern due to its association with health issues. Most of these particles normally result from combustion of chemicals. For instance, the combustion of fuel diesel is normally of great concern, this is because diesel is one of the widely used form of fuel in vehicles hence poses a great risk to people. This is because particles from diesel combustion are normally tiny to the extent that they can easily evade the respiratory system in to the lungs (Frumkin, 2010). PM from diesel normally comprise of a number of chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde, which pose a great risk to human health especially the elderly and those suffering from heart diseases. Sulfur Dioxide Sulfur dioxide is one of the harmful chemical in the atmosphere. The combustion of sulfur and other varied substances such as coal or metal ores result to the formation of SO2 (Frumkin, 2010). Factories are the main contributors of sulfur dioxide due to the numerous emissions of gases in the atmosphere. States such as the US and china are to have high percentage of sulfur dioxide emissions. This is because of the large number of plants present in these nations. For instance, some parts of China, coal is the primary source of fuel. It is because of this that China is one of the highest contributors of sulfur dioxide (Frumkin, 2010). Apart from sulfur dioxide being harmful to human beings, the substance can also be of great harm to the environment. This is because; the emission of sulfur dioxide from sources such as firms or from the combustion of coal normally causes gas to rise in to the atmosphere. While in the atmosphere, the gas is likely to dissolve with moisture hence formation of sulfuric acid that comes down as rain. The sulfuric rain is of great harm not only to humans but also to vegetation as well as aquatic organisms such as fish (Colls & Tiwary, 2009). Because sulfur dioxide is highly soluble, once inhaled by human being, it quickly dissolves with the mucus. Increased ventilation that could be caused by human physical activities such as running normally increases the rate of sulfur dioxide intake in to the respiratory system. Apart from cardiovascular effects, continuous exposure of sulfur dioxide also results to hospitalization for cases such as eye irritations, adverse pregnancies and high mortality rates (Frumkin, 2010). Apart from sulfur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide is another harmful gas that emanates from PM 2.5. Just like sulfur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide particles emanate from the combustion of fossil fuel. The main sources of Nitrogen dioxide particles include track engines and factories (Colls & Tiwary, 2009). Apart from machines, Nitrogen oxide is also emitted from indoor sources. Effects of PM 2.5 According to research conducted, China experiences 750000 premature deaths annually and this has been directly associated to the high level of air pollution present in the nation (Chang et al., 2012). It is because of this that the Chinese government has come out with new measures in a move to curb the high number of deaths already being experienced in the nation. Some of the new measures include the abolition of firms that use coal as the source of energy, the nation is also initiated the move of introduce vehicles running on natural gas instead of diesel ( Chang et al., 2012). The nation has also introduced a policy that requires factories to regulate the amount of gases emitted in the atmosphere. According to research, air ports are the main sources of PM 2.5 compounds (Chang et al., 2012). For instance, research states that in 2010, a total of 12.1 million metric tons of fuel was used on domestic flights alone. Some of the gases emitted that emanate from airports include sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen oxide. Although the level of air pollution in the US is still high, there has been a slight improvement compared to the 1950s. One of the reasons for the slight improvement is because of the introduction of federal states and districts (Jacobson, 2012). The US has also been at the forefront in minimizing the level of air pollution since 1947 after the introduction of LA Air Pollution Control District. The US also introduced measures in order to minimize the level of air pollution. For instance, the regulation standards set in California required that in situations where the level of humidity was less than 70 %, Lake Tahoe’s visibility was to exceed 10 miles (Jacobson, 2012). Conclusion Particulate Matter, commonly known as PM, is a collection of fine particles of either solid or liquid matter suspended in the atmosphere. The particles normally have a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers. The size of particles is normally measurable by an aerodynamic diameter, which aids in determining the category of a particle. There are three common types of particles; PM 10, PM 2.5 and ultrafine PM. According to research, fine particles are more dangerous compared to coarse particles, this because these particles are normally to the extent that they are capable of evading the human’s respiratory system hence finding their way into lung tissues. Some of the diseases that emanate from long-term exposure to fine particles include; Cardiovascular effects, heart rate variability. Apart from cardiovascular effects, continuous exposure of sulfur dioxide also results to hospitalization for cases such as eye irritations, adverse pregnancies and high mortality rates. References Alpert, P., Ganor, E., & Stupp, A. (2009). A method to determine the effect of mineral 　　dust aerosols on air quality. Atmospheric Environment. Retrieved on 2nd April 2014 from http://pubs.acs.org/doi/ipdf/10.1021/es304806k American Heart Association. (2009). About Cardiac Arrest. Retrieved on 2nd April 2014 from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/CardiacArrest/About-Cardiac- Arrest_UCM_307905_Article.jsp Chang, Y., Liu, X., Dore, A., & Li, K. (2012) Stemming PM2.5 pollution in China: 　　re-evaluating the role of ammonia, aviation and non-exhaust road traffic 　　emissions. Environmental science & technology. Retrieved on 2nd April from http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/science/article/pii/S135223100 9006293 Colls, J. & Tiwary, A. (2009). Air Pollution: Measurement, Modeling and Mitigation, Third Edition. Florida: CRC Press Frumkin, H. (2010). Environmental Health: From Global to Local. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Jacobson, M. Z., & Jacobson, M. Z. (2012). Air pollution and global warming: History, science, and solutions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ramos-Bonilla, J. (2009). Exposure to Ambient Concentrations of Air Pollution and Heart Rate Alterations in an Animal Model of Aged Mice. Michigan: ProQuest Sze, J. (2008). Noxious New York: The Racial Politics of Urban Health and Environmental Justice. Cambridge: MIT Press Read More