Hortel, Michael Ray E.

MBA JD ENG 501

Air Pollution
Air pollution is a lo!al issue "ue to the "i#erse an" nu$erous e%%ects !oth on hu$an health an" on the earth&s natural ecosyste$s. As #eri%ie" !y the 'orl" Health (r ani)ation, *air pollution is a $a+or en#iron$ental ris, to health an" is esti$ate" to cause appro-i$ately t.o $illion pre$ature "eaths .orl".i"e per year/ 0'H( 'e!site, 10112. 3here are $any "i%%erent che$ical su!stances that contri!ute to air pollution an" these co$e %ro$ a #ariety o% sources .hich are !oth natural an" hu$an. A$on the $any types o% air pollutants are nitro en o-i"es, car!on $ono-i"es, an" or anic co$poun"s that can e#aporate an" enter the at$osphere.

As a result o% the

ro.in

population is the increase in roa" an" air tra%%ic. 4uel

co$!ustion is one o% the $a+or causes o% air pollution in ur!an areas. Also, !urnin o% %ossil %uels such as natural as an" asoline lea"s to the e$ission o% car!on "io-i"e an" other ases, .hich "eteriorate the 5uality o% air, $a,in it pollute". An increase" le#el o% car!on "io-i"e in the at$osphere can also !e consi"ere" a $a+or cause o% air pollution. 6o.erplants, e-haust %u$es o% auto$o!iles, airplanes an" other hu$an acti#ities in#ol#in the !urnin o% asoline an" natural as are relate" to the e$ission o% this reenhouse as. 7n a""ition, the use o% !anne" che$icals is relate" .ith the

increasin le#els o% air pollution. 3he chloro%luorocar!ons 0848s2, a class o% synthetic che$icals use" in re%ri erants an" aerosol propellants, ha#e cause" hole in Earth9s o)one layer. :ul%ur "io-i"e is one o% the co$ponents o% s$o , .hich is relate" .ith 1

conta$ination o% the Earth9s at$osphere. 3his synthetic che$ical is the pri$e cause o% aci" rain. ;astly, air pollution is partially cause" !y the particulates %or$e" !y a #ariety o% su!stances, such as "ust, pollen an" other or anic $aterials 0:ocha, 100<2.

As one $i ht e-pect, hu$ans ha#e !een pro"ucin increasin a$ounts o% pollutants as ti$e has pro resse", an" they no. account %or the $a+ority o% pollutants release" into the air. :o$e areas no. su%%er $ore than others %ro$ air pollution. Ma "a ;o#el, 'orl" Ban, :ector Mana er %or (perations an" 6olicy %or :ustaina!le De#elop$ent in East Asia an" the 6aci%ic, con%ir$e" that t.o thir"s o% the .orl"&s $ost pollute" cities are in Asia "ue to their rapi" ur!ani)ation rate 0Anony$ous, 100=2. 6unte a""s, *3he

con"ition has also $a"e $illions o% Asians su%%er %ro$ asth$a an" other pollution> relate" "iseases/ 0i!i".2.

8ities .ith lar e nu$!ers o% auto$o!iles or those that use reat 5uantities o% coal o%ten su%%er $ost se#erely %ro$ pro!le$s o% air pollution. 6articulate $atter is the eneric

ter$ use" %or a type o% air pollution that consists o% co$ple- an" #aryin $i-tures o% particles suspen"e" in the air. Rahul Raturi, :ector Mana er o% the 'B9s Rural De#elop$ent, Natural Resources an" En#iron$ental :ector, clari%ies *'ith re ar" to the health i$pacts o% air pollution, one #ery clear $essa e stan"s out? 6articulate $atter e$itte" %ro$ $otor #ehicles is the lar est health ris, %ro$ air pollution/ as cite" !y Bur unio 0100<2. 8ollins 0100@2 cites that :tu"ies ha#e esta!lishe" that *air pollution %ro$ $otor #ehicles increases rates o% cancer, asth$a, pre$ature an" lo.>!irth.ei ht !a!ies an" creates other health .oes./ 7t has also !een pro#en that the closer one li#es

to con este" roa"s, the

reater the ris, to their health. Den#er researchers ha#e

con%ir$e" that chil"ren .ho li#e closer to hi h>tra%%ic roa"s are ei ht ti$es $ore apt to "e#elop leu,e$ia or other cancers. Accor"in to a Ani#ersity o% 8ali%ornia ;os An eles stu"y, pre nant .o$en li#in near !usy roa"s ha" $ore pre$ature an" lo.>!irth.ei ht !a!ies. 7n a""ition, another stu"y %ro$ the Netherlan"s lin,s li#in !y !usy roa"s to shorter li%e spans 0i!i".2.

4in"in .ays to "i$inish the e$ission o% irrita!le su!stances nee"s the cooperation o% all in"i#i"uals .ith the help o% their o#ern$ent an" international or ani)ations. 3he 'orl" Health (r ani)ation has !een .or,in .ith e#ery country across the lo!e to turn aroun" this unaccepta!le situation to reach the su este" ne. stan"ar"s %or air 5uality. est i$pact on

3hey ha#e !een tas,e" .ith i"enti%yin those air pollutants .ith the !i

people&s health to help Me$!er :tates to %ocus on their actions on the $ost e%%icient .ay to pre#ent an" re"uce ris,s. Arusula :cha%er>6reuss, Bice 6resi"ent o% Cno.le" e Mana e$ent an" :ustaina!le De#elop$ent at the Asian De#elop$ent Ban, a""s *air 5uality an" cli$ate chan e can !e tac,le" !y .in>.in policies, institutional an" in#est$ent solutions/ 0Anony$ous, 100=2. Many o#ern$ents ha#e i$pose" the 8lean Air .hich is a piece o% le islation relatin to the re"uction o% air!orne

conta$inants, s$o an" air pollution in

eneral. 3he use !y

o#ern$ents to en%orce

clean air stan"ar"s has contri!ute" to an i$pro#e$ent in hu$an health an" lon er li%e spans. 3his is pro#en in the case o% the 6hilippines .here the closure o% a nu$!er o% coal>%ire" po.er plants near Manila in 1001 le" to a re"uction in sul%ur "io-i"e

concentrations, .hile the phase out o% lea"e"

asoline le" to a ten>%ol" re"uction in

a$!ient lea" le#els since 1001 0Raturi as cite" in Bur nio, 100<2. 7n"i#i"ual responsi!ility is an e#en $ore i$portant %actor in sol#in the lo!al issue o% air pollution. 3he solution is not only a o#ern$ent concern as it is e#ery!o"y&s issue to ha#e a !etter an" healthy li%e %or enerations to co$e. Husley su ests *people loo, %or

clean transportation options, such as pu!lic transit or lo.>e$ission #ehicles an" try to li#e as %ar a.ay %ro$ !usy roa"s as possi!le/ as cite" !y 8ollins 0100@2. Buc,ley %urther a""s, *air cleaners an" %ilters insi"e the ho$e .ill help re"uce pollution that ori inate" %ro$ outsi"e/ 0i!i"2. 7n a""ition, e#en the $ost si$ple an" co$$on tas,s i% collecti#ely per%or$e" !y all citi)ens .ill pro"uce $ore e%%icient an" econo$ical results. 3hese inclu"e turnin o%% the li hts .hen not nee"e"E chan in ratin s .ith hi h e%%iciencyE !uyin air>con"itionin li ht !ul!s into lo. po.er an" re%ri eration units

usin re%ri erant, .hich e$its li$ite" 848s into our airE "isposin

ol" appliances or

househol" $aterials .ith aerosols properlyE .al,in instea" o% usin the car .hen oin to a place only a !loc, a.ayE an" lettin school chil"ren ri"e in a school !us rather than sen"in the$ to school .ith the %a$ily car, an" the list oes on.

Base" on all the in%or$ation

athere", e$phasis shoul" "e%initely !e place" on

personal accounta!ility i#en that the $a+or cause o% air pollution is o% hu$an nature. Ho.e#er, in a""ition to this inclu"es the nee" %or corporate social responsi!ility as co$panies pro"uce .aste on a lar er scale. 8o$panies, li,e in"i#i"uals, $ust ensure that all their actions are to.ar"s sustaina!le "e#elop$ent an" to al.ays thin, o% the %uture enerations ahea". Go#ern$ents shoul" continue to create an" $ore i$portantly

en%orce la.s relatin to the i$pro#e$ent o% o#erall air 5uality as this is #ital to hu$an sur#i#al.

Bibliography

Anony$ous. 0100=2. De%eatin air pollution re5uires +oin %ront? En#iron$entalists. The Jakarta Post? Ja,arta? No# 1@, 100=. Bur onio, 3.J. 0100<2. Air pollution ,ills nearly 5,000 Metro resi"ents yearly. Philippine Daily Inquirer. :epte$!er @, 100<.

8ollins, ;. M. 0100@2. Behicular air pollution lin,e" to $yria" $ala"ies. Deseret Morning News. :alt ;a,e 8ity? Atah? July 1F, 100@. p . B.0D :ocha, 3. 0100<2. Air pollution cause and effect. http://healthandenergy.com/air_pollution_causes.htm

'orl" Health (r ani)ation 'e!site. http://www.who.int/topics/air_pollution/en/