Clean Air & Health
Our bodily functions depend heavily on having oxygen-rich blood, which we get by breathing air into our lungs that transports oxygen to every cell in our body. But pollutants in the air can reduce the body's autoimmune functions and cause other serious health risks. Thanks to legislation and scientific research, the relationship between health and clean air is better understood and appreciated.
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Health Problems
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Clean air is essential to the healthy function of human bodies, as air pollution can cause difficulty breathing, coughing and wheezing. Particles in the air can carry toxic chemicals such as carbon monoxide and methane, and when they are inhaled into the lungs they are absorbed and spread through our bodies.
A University of California study identified a specific set of health risks posed by air pollution that aggravate heart and lung illnesses, increase stress on the cardiovascular system and reduce lung capacity. Poor air quality is also linked to other health problems such as asthma, allergies, respiratory diseases and neurological damage.
Air Quality Index
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Clean air is measured at the local and city level by the air quality index or (AQI). This reporting service is provided to the general public courtesy of the Clean Air Act. Amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1999 allowed for monitoring stations in most cities that measure apparent air quality based on the ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. The AQI measures air quality in intervals of one, eight and 24 hours to calculate a daily tolerance. These levels are considered "breakpoints" and help the public determine whether conditions exceed their healthy exposure limits.
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At Risk Individuals
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Our overall health is one of the main factors affecting how we react to air pollutants. However, other factors include genetics, the amount of exposure and type of pollutant.
But even when we are healthy we can be affected. For example, jogging on a hot, smoggy day can increase your exposure to air pollutants. The elderly, children and individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular and respiratory conditions are also particularly vulnerable. Pregnant women can jeopardize the health of their fetuses by exposing themselves to toxic air. The Environmental Protection Agency has linked autism, early asthma and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) to toxic air exposure.
Worst U.S. City
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The American Lung Association asserts that taking a jog in a heavily polluted city is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Houston was rated the nation's worst city for ozone pollution, with the most days below the one-hour ozone standard. A professor at Texas A&M also concluded that the air quality in Houston was three times worse than the government standard. The source of the city's air pollution is primarily due to its industrial shipping yards, which make up the largest petro-chemical compound in the nation.
Clean Air Act
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Federal and state laws were enacted in 1963 that allowed for the study of air pollution. Congress adopted these laws in 1970 as the Clean Air Act, and in that same year the Environmental Protection Agency was created to carry out clean air programs and monitor air pollution. The Clean Air Act gained even more strength in 1990 when Congress passed new amendments that expanded the EPA's authority to enforce these federal mandates. According to the EPA, the Clean Air Act has reduced toxic emissions from industrial plants by 70 percent since its inception in 1970.
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