Air Pollution Trigger Asthma

[Crabtownboy]

Some seem not to know.

In recent years, scientists have shown that air pollution from cars, factories and power plants is a major cause of asthma attacks. And more than 131 million Americans -- over 40 percent of the nation's population -- live in areas with bad air. Roughly 30 percent of childhood asthma is due to environmental exposures, costing the nation $2 billion per year. Studies also suggest that air pollution may contribute to the development of asthma in previously healthy people. In fact, one recent Los Angeles study found that eight percent of childhood asthma cases are a result of living close (within 250 feet) to major roadways.


Air Pollutants that Trigger Asthma

Particulate Matter: This term refers to a wide range of pollutants -- dust, soot, fly ash, diesel exhaust particles, wood smoke and sulfate aerosols -- which are suspended as tiny particles in the air. Some of these fine particles can become lodged in the lungs and could trigger asthma attacks. Studies have shown that the number of hospitalizations for asthma increases when levels of particulate matter in the air rise. Coal-fired power plants, factories, and diesel vehicles are major sources of particulate pollution. Around 81 million people live in areas that fail to meet national air quality standards for particulate matter.

Ground Level Ozone: A toxic component of smog, ozone triggers asthma attacks and makes existing asthma worse. It may also lead to the development of asthma in children. Ozone is typically produced when pollution from cars and trucks or industrial smokestacks reacts with oxygen and sunlight. Ground level ozone is a serious problem in cities with lots of traffic, such as Los Angeles, Houston and New York City. In 2013, according to the American Lung Association, nearly four in 10 people in the United States (38 percent) lived in areas with unhealthful levels of ozone.

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2 ): A respiratory irritant associated with the onset of asthma attacks, sulfur dioxide is produced when coal and crude oil are burned. Coal-fired power plants, particularly older plants that burn coal without SO2 pollution controls, are the worst SO2 polluters. 8.1 million Americans lives within 3 miles of a coal-fired power plant. Oil refineries and diesel engines that burn high-sulfur fuel also release large amounts of SO2 into the air.

Nitrogen Oxide (NOx): A gas emitted from tailpipes and power plants, nitrogen oxide contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone and smog. It also reacts with other air pollutants to form small particles that can cause breathing difficulties, especially in people with asthma. Exposure to high levels of nitrogen dioxide early in life could increase risk of developing asthma.

http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/fasthma.asp

 

[Deacon]

Just over 100 years ago asthma was induced by wood and coal emissions and horse manure.

The treatment was to move to the countryside.

Arizona was once a popular destination for asthmatics because the dry, desert climate was particularly low in pollen and other particulate matter.

Asthma's been around almost as long as man.

Rob

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Some seem not to know.

Everybody knows air pollution -- or for that matter, any other irritant in the air, such as pollen or dust -- can cause asthma attacks. What we refuse to accept is your depiction of coal-fired generators as pollution emitters of the type that idiotic picture you posted was supposed to "prove."

You don't deal in facts, you deal in emotion, and if you can't generate emotion with rationale, you lie. And yes, exaggeration, obfuscation and omission of the whole true are all the same things as lies. It's the same problem with all liberals. You're more sold out to establishing your ideology as the rule of the land than you are in actually pursuing cooperation, compromise and reason. Your answers for everything from defense, to drug laws, to entitlements is bigger government.

Overregulation is bankrupting. You cannot legislate good health, good economics, good work environment, good ethics. At some point you have to trust people to be basically good. And you do that not by regulating them, but by educating them in God's word.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Just over 100 years ago asthma was induced by wood and coal emissions and horse manure.

The treatment was to move to the countryside.

Arizona was once a popular destination for asthmatics because the dry, desert climate was particularly low in pollen and other particulate matter.

Asthma's been around almost as long as man.

Rob

Yes asthma has been around as long as mankind has been on earth. The last time I worked in China 25% of all deaths were related to lung diseases. It is worse in areas where the air pollution is highest. Here is a quote from a recent issue of The Atlantic:

Given the recent headlines, it probably surprises no one that China has 16 of the world's worst pollution hot-spots within its borders, and the negative health effects are beginning to become a major public health threat. In fact, air pollution contributed to over 1.2 million deaths in China in 2010. China recently approved 10 anti-pollution measures in response to persistent public outcry and environmental damage, but these will most likely be implemented over the course of years, and public health risks remain problematic in the meantime.

http://www.theatlantic.com/china/ar...thma-problem-is-bad-and-growing-worse/277250/

While any country with a population as large as China's will have some number of children born with birth defects, there are persistent rumors that the horrendous pollution in China has led to a huge increase such births in China. This, combined with the one-child policy, has led to orphanages being filled with special needs children, some of whom have very complex and difficult medical needs. In addition, children remaining in families often have less obvious medical issues that affect their ability to live full lives.

http://www.theatlantic.com/internat...inas-pollution-the-birth-defect-angle/272617/

China's Forbidden City from Tienanmen Square.