173
6.2 Anthropogenic Effects on Atmospheric Emissions
The emission of toxic substances into the atmosphere is one of the greatest health
threats to the light. Lice are directly exposed to the effects of harmful substances
through inhalation. Particle gases depend on their size and on the defence capabilities of the respiratory tract. Exposure to toxic substances is usually defined as a
function of their concentration and time of exposure, i.e. the phenomenon that
occurs with the achievement of direct contact between humans and the environment
with the content of pollutants in a given interval of time. The health effects of toxic
substances depend on their concentration and the place of their deposition in the
respiratory tract. The most at-risk group in the population of harmful effects of airborne particles are children and the elderly, especially those with a weakened cardiovascular and respiratory system. Heavy metal air pollution is a global process
that affects every part of the Earth. Rapid increases in the concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere and the environment are most often associated with the
development of technologies for exploitation and processing of mineral raw materials. This change exposes the biosphere to the risk of destabilization of organisms
that grow under conditions with low concentrations of these substances and that do
not have developed biochemical pathways capable of their detoxification when they
are present in high concentrations (Hoenig 2001).
Atmospheric deposition of particles containing potentially toxic metals (“heavy
metals”) is the main subject of many studies and usually occurs in industrial areas,
in places where natural resources are exploited and processed as well as in areas
with large settlements where which heating, traffic and municipal waste are the
main sources of pollution (Wong et al. 2006). Heavy metals in the atmosphere originate mainly from the dispersion of dust from metal refining, combustion of fossil
fuels and other human activities and remain in the atmosphere until they are removed
by various cleaning processes. Substances released into the atmosphere through the
combustion process can be transported to places away from wind sources, depending on whether they are in gaseous or solid form. Urban pollution with heavy metals
has been the subject of many studies (De Miguel et al. 1999; Ajmone-Marsan et al.
2008; Beelen et al. 2009). Regional soil contamination occurs mainly in industrial
regions and in the centres of large settlements, where factories, traffic and municipal
waste are the most important sources of environmental pollution. Due to the heterogeneity and the constant change of the urban environment, it is necessary to first
determine the natural distribution and the methods for distinguishing artificial
anomalies in nature. The natural background itself is variable, which means that
higher concentrations of some substances may be normal for one region but abnormal for others. However, there are cases when some industrial processes, especially
mining and metallurgical, when located near cities, can lead to an increase in environmental pollution (Ajmone-Marsan et al. 2008).
6 Evidence for Atmospheric Depositions Using Attic Dust, Spatial Mapping…
6.2 Anthropogenic Effects on Atmospheric Emissions
The emission of toxic substances into the atmosphere is one of the greatest health
threats to the light. Lice are directly exposed to the effects of harmful substances
through inhalation. Particle gases depend on their size and on the defence capabilities of the respiratory tract. Exposure to toxic substances is usually defined as a
function of their concentration and time of exposure, i.e. the phenomenon that
occurs with the achievement of direct contact between humans and the environment
with the content of pollutants in a given interval of time. The health effects of toxic
substances depend on their concentration and the place of their deposition in the
respiratory tract. The most at-risk group in the population of harmful effects of airborne particles are children and the elderly, especially those with a weakened cardiovascular and respiratory system. Heavy metal air pollution is a global process
that affects every part of the Earth. Rapid increases in the concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere and the environment are most often associated with the
development of technologies for exploitation and processing of mineral raw materials. This change exposes the biosphere to the risk of destabilization of organisms
that grow under conditions with low concentrations of these substances and that do
not have developed biochemical pathways capable of their detoxification when they
are present in high concentrations (Hoenig 2001).
Atmospheric deposition of particles containing potentially toxic metals (“heavy
metals”) is the main subject of many studies and usually occurs in industrial areas,
in places where natural resources are exploited and processed as well as in areas
with large settlements where which heating, traffic and municipal waste are the
main sources of pollution (Wong et al. 2006). Heavy metals in the atmosphere originate mainly from the dispersion of dust from metal refining, combustion of fossil
fuels and other human activities and remain in the atmosphere until they are removed
by various cleaning processes. Substances released into the atmosphere through the
combustion process can be transported to places away from wind sources, depending on whether they are in gaseous or solid form. Urban pollution with heavy metals
has been the subject of many studies (De Miguel et al. 1999; Ajmone-Marsan et al.
2008; Beelen et al. 2009). Regional soil contamination occurs mainly in industrial
regions and in the centres of large settlements, where factories, traffic and municipal
waste are the most important sources of environmental pollution. Due to the heterogeneity and the constant change of the urban environment, it is necessary to first
determine the natural distribution and the methods for distinguishing artificial
anomalies in nature. The natural background itself is variable, which means that
higher concentrations of some substances may be normal for one region but abnormal for others. However, there are cases when some industrial processes, especially
mining and metallurgical, when located near cities, can lead to an increase in environmental pollution (Ajmone-Marsan et al. 2008).
6 Evidence for Atmospheric Depositions Using Attic Dust, Spatial Mapping…