Effects Of Common Air Pollutants on Human Health

Pollutant , their Source and known on suspected effects

Carbon monoxide : Emitted mainly from motor vehicles, carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood by combining with haemoglobin and deprives the tissues of oxygen.

Lead : Produced mainly from smelting and manufacturing processes, also little from gasoline emissions, excessive amounts cause lead poisoning, which can impair mental ability, especially in younger children.

Nitrogen oxides : Nitrogen oxides, are pollutants that cause smog and acid rain, they are produced mainly from burning fuel, industrial boilers, and motor vehicles, they can cause eye, throat and lung irritation, especially in children and people with respiratory problems.

Ozone : As a secondary pollutant, ozone is not emitted by any vehicle or factory, it is produced mainly from photochemical reactions of certain air pollutants, ozone can cause irritation of nose and throat, it can impair lung function, especially in people susceptible to chronic lung disease or asthma.

Particulate matter : This is solid matter or droplets found in smoke, dust, car emissions and at the sites of unsheltered agricultural fields, industrial processes and construction, particulate matter can cause breathing difficulties, especially in those suffering from heart or lung disease.

Sulphur Oxides : Sulphur oxides, such as sulphur dioxide, are mainly from industrial, utility and apartment furnace and boiler emissions, as well as petroleum refineries, smelters, paper mills and chemical plants, sulphur oxides are one of the major pollutants that cause smog and can aggravate upper-respiratory disease and cause eye and throat irritation, they can also affect people with heart conditions.

Toxic air pollutants : These are particles that are toxic to organisms, e.g. asbestos, arsenic and benzene. These pollutants are often emitted by chemical plants, industrial processes and motor vehicles and are often found in building materials, health problems depend on the type of particle, for example, inhaled asbestors remain permanently in the lungs, irritating lung tissue, it has also been associated with lung disease and cancer.