151
water are affected by air pollutants (Chandrappa and Kulshrestha 2016). Ambient
air pollution is the cause for about 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide due to
their ailments including heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive lung cancer, pulmonary disease, as well as acute respiratory infections (WHO 2018a).
Conventionally sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide
(NO 2 ), and ozone (O 3 ) are measured in the ambient air worldwide. But the particulate matter could contain microbes as well as toxic substances. Overall, 143 million
chemicals have been registered since 1800s (CAS 2018), which are not completely
understood by the scientific community. Any chemical registered/unregistered in
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry can enter the environment and human
body. But not all chemicals are analyzed in the water/air/soil samples collected.
Some gases such as SO 2 cause irritation, while gases such as CO and acetylene
cause asphyxiation. Nasal allergy may be caused due to pollens and pollutants that
can remain on skin/respiratory/digestive system or enter the blood and can be transported all over the body. Apart from smoking, other causes for cancer include radon,
secondhand smoke, asbestos, benzene, formaldehyde, and array of other substances
published by International Agency for Research on Cancer time to time.
Lead in air, even in low concentration, is toxic, but the organo-lead compounds
are still more toxic. They can cause cardiovascular, hematological, gastrointestinal,
neurological, renal, as well as reproductive disorders. Lead accumulated in bones
can turn into source of exposure afterward in life (UNEP 2010).
The lung of infants as well as developing fetus is more vulnerable to damage as
a result of lung toxicants.
Air pollution on October 26, 1948, besides the River Monongahela, in close
proximity to Pittsburgh in United States, resulted in demise of 20 people due to
respiratory and cardiac diseases.
Exhausts from gasoline and diesel combustion are probably carcinogenic to people (IARC 1989) and children residing around locations with high traffic are more
prone to danger of cancer.
Air-borne particles can stay in air for several days (Wells and Stone 1934; Wells
1934; Duguid 1946) and, hence, pathogens can spread by dispersion in air.
As per Wang and Pinkerton (2007), exposure to air pollution at the time of fetal
development as well as early postnatal life can be associated with the following:
1. Behavioral problems
2. Childhood asthma
3. Congenital defects
4. Decreased lung growth
5. Rise in respiratory tract infections
6. Intrauterine as well as infant mortality
7. Intrauterine growth restriction
8. Neurocognitive decrements
9. Preterm birth
10. Very low/low birth weight
4.5 Pollution of the Environment
water are affected by air pollutants (Chandrappa and Kulshrestha 2016). Ambient
air pollution is the cause for about 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide due to
their ailments including heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive lung cancer, pulmonary disease, as well as acute respiratory infections (WHO 2018a).
Conventionally sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide
(NO 2 ), and ozone (O 3 ) are measured in the ambient air worldwide. But the particulate matter could contain microbes as well as toxic substances. Overall, 143 million
chemicals have been registered since 1800s (CAS 2018), which are not completely
understood by the scientific community. Any chemical registered/unregistered in
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry can enter the environment and human
body. But not all chemicals are analyzed in the water/air/soil samples collected.
Some gases such as SO 2 cause irritation, while gases such as CO and acetylene
cause asphyxiation. Nasal allergy may be caused due to pollens and pollutants that
can remain on skin/respiratory/digestive system or enter the blood and can be transported all over the body. Apart from smoking, other causes for cancer include radon,
secondhand smoke, asbestos, benzene, formaldehyde, and array of other substances
published by International Agency for Research on Cancer time to time.
Lead in air, even in low concentration, is toxic, but the organo-lead compounds
are still more toxic. They can cause cardiovascular, hematological, gastrointestinal,
neurological, renal, as well as reproductive disorders. Lead accumulated in bones
can turn into source of exposure afterward in life (UNEP 2010).
The lung of infants as well as developing fetus is more vulnerable to damage as
a result of lung toxicants.
Air pollution on October 26, 1948, besides the River Monongahela, in close
proximity to Pittsburgh in United States, resulted in demise of 20 people due to
respiratory and cardiac diseases.
Exhausts from gasoline and diesel combustion are probably carcinogenic to people (IARC 1989) and children residing around locations with high traffic are more
prone to danger of cancer.
Air-borne particles can stay in air for several days (Wells and Stone 1934; Wells
1934; Duguid 1946) and, hence, pathogens can spread by dispersion in air.
As per Wang and Pinkerton (2007), exposure to air pollution at the time of fetal
development as well as early postnatal life can be associated with the following:
1. Behavioral problems
2. Childhood asthma
3. Congenital defects
4. Decreased lung growth
5. Rise in respiratory tract infections
6. Intrauterine as well as infant mortality
7. Intrauterine growth restriction
8. Neurocognitive decrements
9. Preterm birth
10. Very low/low birth weight
4.5 Pollution of the Environment