Outdoor air pollution & social justice Flashcards
what happened in Meuse Valley, Belgium?
Sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid mists, & fluoride gases realized in extremely high measures by steel industrial operations. Associated with deaths 10x more than the usual rate, most fatalities occurred among the elderly with preexisting conditions
what happened in Donora, PA, 1948?
(due to pollution from iron/steel mills, coal fired home stoves, factories burning coal, coke ovens, and metal works), fog combined with particulate matter. 7,000 ill residents (400 hospitalized), 20 deaths (respiratory, gastrointestinal)
what happened in London, 1952?
due to smoke from coal-burning household stoves, caused several thousand excess deaths due to respiratory diseases. 3,000 more died than expected. Landmark study of the health effects of pollution
what is DDT used for
was widely used in America and around the world to control malaria. Later was found to have adverse health effects on wild life
what was Bracero 1942-1964
• series of laws & diplomatic agreements. Under this program, Mexican workers were allowed to enter the U.S. on a temporary basis. These individuals worked with DDT, often resulting in ill health effects
what was Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, 1962
• documenting the adverse effects of pesticides on the environment. This book is widely credited with helping launch and environmental movement and facilitating the ban of DDT, but DDT is not banned until 1972
what was the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans & women, including racial segregation
-MLK supported sanitation workers in Memphis
who was Ralph Abascal
• (attorney to California Rural Legal Assistance)
- Filed the original suit on behalf of 6 Latino farmworkers- case led to the ban of DDT
- Working on behalf of thousands of farm workers, people of color, the disabled, immigrants, students, and welfare recipients.
- Credited with starting the environmental justice movement
who is credited with starting the environmental justice movement
Ralph Abascal
what is environmental justice
o Fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income with respect to development, implementation & enforcement of environmental laws, regulations & policies
lead poisoning and environmental justice, 1970-71
- 1970: USPHS reports finds that lead poisoning is disproportionately impacting minority children
- 1971: Presidents’ CEQ: racial discrimination adversely affects environmental quality of minority communities
PCB landfill and environmental justice
- 1975-1982: Warren County residents protest the siting of a PCB landfill in Warren County, NC
Michigan Coalition and environmental justice
1987 national findings: 3/5 people living in communities with uncontrolled toxic waste sites are African Americans & Hispanic Americans
Executive Order 12898 and environmental justice
- Directs federal agencies to make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high adverse human health or environmental effects of its activities on minority and low- income populations
- Develops agency strategies, creates interagency working groups on EJ, and health & environment data collection
IOM 1999 and environmental justice
- Closer attention & greater priority should be placed on environmental health issues within communities of color
- People of color make up 56% of those living in contaminated communities
- This report called for renewed attention to environmental justice
impact of Rachel Carson and Ralph Abascal
Silent Spring and Abascal’s human rights case led to the DDT lawsuit, then the DDT lawsuit resulted in the Environmental Movement and Environmental Justice Movement
what causes air pollution
mainly fuel combustion
primary air pollutants and four examples
- those emitted directly by sources of pollution
Ex: ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, PM, sulfur dioxide
secondary air pollutants and two examples
- air pollutants are those generated from atmospheric chemical reactions between primary pollutants
Ex: smog, acidic aerosols
what are sources of naturally occurring air pollution
Wind storms, salt evaporation along coasts, production of biologic materials (pollen, mold spores, etc., forest fires, volcanic eruptions
what are stationary, anthropogenic (man made) sources of air pollution
Electric generation plants, manufacturing complexes, oil refineries, chemical plants & incinerators
what are mobile man made sources of air pollution
Cars: Despite efforts to make vehicles cleaner, the number of drivers continues to increase
what is sulfur dioxide (is it a gas or particle or element or chemical?)
Water-soluble gas
¥ Reacts with other substances easily and forms compounds (sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid & sulfate particles)
where does sulfur dioxide come from
Mainly human sources
¥ Main source= industrial activity (electricity from coal, oil or gas that contains sulfur
¥ Also present in car emissions (result of fuel combustion)
why is sulfur dioxide bad, what are the symptoms of exposure
¥ If breathed in, irritates nose, throat and airways
¥ Causes cough, shortness of breath, tight feeling in chest
¥ Effects are felt very quickly, typically within 10/15 minutes after breathing it in
what is particulate matter, what are some examples
Particles (tiny pieces) of solids or liquids in the air.
¥ Ex: dust, dirt, soot, smoke, drops of liquid
¥ Some can be seen (smoke), some can’t
where does primary particulate matter come from
cause particle pollution on their own
¥ Ex: wood stoves & forest fires
where does secondary particulate matter come from
let off gasses that can form particles
¥ Ex: power plants & coal fires
¥ Some are both primary & secondary
¥ Ex: factories, cars & trucks, construction sites
why is particulate matter bad, what are the symptoms of exposure
¥ Bigger particles can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat
¥ Ex: dust from roads, farms, dry riverbeds, construction sites, & mines
¥ In addition, connected to lung irritation, trouble breathing, lung cancer, & low birth weight babies
what are nitrogen oxides
Mixture of gases that are made up of nitrogen & oxygen gasses
¥ Ex: nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen oxide & nitrogen monoxide
where do nitrogen oxides come from
Found in air, soil, and water
¥ Ex: Natural events, such as lightning & bushfires
¥ Ex: Also in exhaust fumes from cars, planes, trains, boats, lawnmowers
¥ Ex: Fertilizers, cigarette smoke, wood heater, some agricultural
why are nitrogen oxides bad, what are their effects on health
¥ Inflammation of airways
¥ Long term: decreased lung function, increase in response to allergens
what are nitrogen oxides’ effects on the environment
¥ Can affect roots/leaves of agricultural crops if high levels of oxides of nitrogen in the air, water or soil (poor harvest)
¥ Contributes to smog, acid rain
what is ozone
Gas present in the Earth’s upper atmosphere & at a ground level
where does ozone come from
Not emitted directly into the air, but created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) & volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight
¥ Emissions from industrial facilities & electric facilities, car exhaust, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents= major sources of NOx & VOC
why is ozone bad for health and environment
Lung disease, asthma, chest pain, coughing
Bad for crops & ecosystem
what is carbon monoxide
Colorless, odorless, gas that can kill
where does carbon monoxide come from
Found in fumes produced anytime you burn fuel in cars or trucks, small engines, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, gas ranges, or furnaces (can build up indoors)
why is carbon monoxide bad
If breathed in in high quantities, reduces the amount of oxygen that can be transported in the blood stream to organs Poisoning leading to death!
what is lead
Naturally occurring element found in small amounts in the earth’s crust
where does lead come from
¥ Present in air, soil, water, our homes
¥ A lot of exposure= from humans. Fossil fuels including past use of leaded gasoline, some types of industrial facilities, & lead-based paint, pipes and plumbing materials, gasoline, batteries, ammunition & cosmetics
why is lead bad, and for whom is it especially bad
Especially bad in vulnerable populations. Associated with behavior & learning problems, lower IQ, hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems, anemia, cardiovascular effects, etc.
what are volatile organic compounds
Gasses given off by a # of indoor sources. Usually higher in indoor air than outdoor air
where do volatile organic compounds come from
Paints, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, cleansers & disinfectants, moth repellents & air fresheners, stored fuels, dry-cleaned clothing, pesticide, glues, permanent markers, office materials such as printers
symptoms caused by volatile organic compounds
Inflammation of airways, loss of coordination, nausea, damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system, some are cancer causing, dyspnea
what are persistent organic pollutants
Widely used synthetic chemicals that were introduced into commercial use that were used for pest control, crop production, and industry purposes. However, they had unforeseen effects on human health and the environments
where do persistent organic pollutants come from (what is the most known and controversial POP?)
¥ Intentionally produced chemicals currently or once used in manufacturing, agriculture, disease control, or industrial processes
¥ Unintentionally produced chemicals that result from some industrial processes & from combustion (Ex: municipal & medical waste incineration and backyard burning of trash)
¥ DDT is most known and controversial
¥ People most exposed to it by contaminated foods
what is the Clean Air Act of 1970
- Mandated that the federal government develop & publicize national ambient air quality standards (NAAQSs)
- Specifying uniform nationwide limits for certain major air pollutants (“criteria air pollutants”): carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide
- Has been amended several times, most recently in 1990
- Under this act, the EPA must identify pollutants that “may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare” & issue air quality criteria for them- “primary and secondary” NAAQSs for these pollutants
what are primary standards under the Clean Air Act of 1970
set limits to protect public health including vulnerable populations
what are the secondary standards under the Clean Air Act of 1970
standards protect against other effects, such as decreased visibility & damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings
-Standards are set for 2 types of averaging time periods: short term (24 hours or less) & long term (such as annual average)
what has the WHO done for air pollution?
- Developed air-quality guidelines for international use
- Concentration limits of air pollutants for certain averaging times that were recommended by international experts, are intended for consideration by national and international authorities in publicizing air quality standards
Adverse health effects attributed to exposure to ambient air pollution
o Cardiorespiratory morbidity, exacerbation of asthma, increased respiratory symptoms and illnesses, decreased lung function, and reduced host defense
o It’s hard to determine mixtures of exposures, although this happens a lot
acute health issues associated with air pollution
• Irritation of eyes, nose, throat; aching lungs; bronchitis, pneumonia; wheezing; coughing; nausea; headaches
chronic health issues associated with air pollution
- Heart disease, COPD, lung cancer
* Asthma has show increasing prevalence since 1980, which is positively correlated with air pollution
mortality associated with air pollution
- Estimated annual global case fatality rate associated with outdoor air pollution is 0.4% to 1.1%
- Worse in cities
- PM10 associated with increase in daily mortality rates
sulfur dioxide: susceptible population and symptoms
healthy adults, COPD patients, & people with asthma
- Increased respiratory symptoms
- Increased respiratory mortality & increase in hospital visits for respiratory disease
- In asthmatics, acute bronchoconstriction
particulate matter: susceptible population and symptoms
- children, people with chronic heart & lung disease including asthma
- Increased acute cardiovascular & respiratory mortality, cardiovascular mortality with chronic exposure
- Increased hospital admissions for respiratory & cardiac conditions
- Decreased lung function
- Increased asthma exacerbations
- Increased prevalence of chronic bronchitis
- Increased risk of lung cancer, blood fibrinogen, inflammatory markers
- Reduced heart-rate variability
- Low birth rate, postneonatal mortality
acid aerosols: susceptible population and symptoms
- (Susceptible pop= healthy adults, children, people with asthma, others)
- Increase respiratory illness
- Decreased lung function
- Increased hospitalizations
ozone: susceptible population and symptoms
- (Susceptible pop= athletes, outdoor workers, people with asthma & other respiratory illnesses, children)
- Effects increased with exercise
- Increased hospital admissions for acute respiratory illnesses
nitrogen dioxide: susceptible population and symptoms
- (Susceptible pop= children with asthma, young children)
- Effects occur at levels found indoors with unvented sources of combustion
- Increased respiratory morbidity
- Increased airway reactivity
- Decreased lung function
- Increased respiratory symptoms
- Increased respiratory illnesses
- Increased cardiac ischemia
carbon monoxide: susceptible population and symptoms
- (Susceptible pop= healthy adults, patients with ischemic heart disease)
- Increased cardiac ischemia
- Decreased exercise capacity
- Possible effects= low birth weight, preterm birth
- Death at high levels
intrinsic factors that increase vulnerability to pollution
age, gender, race, preexisting health impairment, & genetic factors
why are children more vulnerable to effects of pollution
spend more time outside than adults, higher respiratory rates than adults, higher doses of pollutants in proportion to body weight
why are old people more vulnerable to pollution
more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease & immunocompromise, both of which increase their susceptibility to air pollutants
why are people with asthma more vulnerable to pollution
more responsive to short-term exposure to inhaled agents (especially particulates & ozone)
how do genetic factors affect vulnerability to pollution
can play a major role in responsiveness to air pollutants (especially particulates & ozone): could increase the susceptibility to ozone & enhance the allergic response to diesel exposure. These genetic factors might explain part of the large variability among individuals in response to ozone exposure
who are MOST vulnerable to pollutants?
pregnant women and children under five
what are extrinsic factors that affect vulnerability to pollution
Extrinsic factors such as profile of exposures to pollutants, concomitant exposure to other toxic living conditions, nutritional status, and lifestyle factors
what is protective against ozone
-Vitamin E, Vitamin C, & betacarotene may protect against the adverse health effect of ozone on lung function (so your diet matters)
how does SES impact vulnerability to pollution
increases the association between air pollution & adverse health effects: poor living conditions, poor nutrition, concomitant exposure, & limited access to healthcare, likely interact to increase the vulnerability of air pollutants
how does lifestyle impact vulnerability to pollution
relation in proximity to emission sources people who live/work near major roads/ highways, population density, pollutant levels throughout the area
