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Year 5 Area – Environmental Health
Air pollution is the presence of one or more contaminants in the atmosphere. Every year, chemical substances present in the air affect the health of many people. Over the years, modernization, technology, and progress have led to our air becoming more and more polluted. As population and urbanization rates increase, so do some of the major factors responsible for air pollution, including vehicles and factories. For each city or country, the causes of pollution might be different. This is because the dispersal of pollution is dependant on the geographical location, temperature, wind, and weather of the area.
There are two main types of pollution. The first type is the release of particles into the air from burning fuel for energy. This particulate matter is comprised of very small pieces of particles that are about 2.5 microns (.0001 inches) in size. It is typically formed from the exhaust caused by burning fuels in vehicles, homes, and industries.
The other type of pollution is the release of gaseous byproducts, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and chemical vapors. Once these noxious gases are released into the atmosphere, they can take part in further chemical reactions that might be harmful.
Air pollution can have some adverse effects on your health that can be both short- and long-term. However, some individuals tend to be more likely affected, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions. Short-term effects of air pollution can include irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat. It can also cause upper respiratory infections like bronchitis or pneumonia . Other short-term effects include the aggravation of asthma and emphysema, with the pollution sometimes increasing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Long-term effects of air pollution include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, and heart disease. In addition, pollution can also cause damage to the brain, liver, kidneys, and even the nerves. In developing children, the

lungs can be severely affected. And unfortunately, air pollution might even lead to death.
To help protect your health from the ravages of air pollution, government agencies measure the amount of the pollution in the air. This Air Quality Index (AQI) is used to tell people the status of the air around them. The AQI uses a series of colors and numbers to tell you how healthy the air is that you are breathing in that day. The colors range from Green, being the best air quality, to Maroon, the worst air quality. On the other hand, the numbers range from 0-500 with an index of less than 100 indicating the air is clean. The government also uses the Clean Air
Act in an effort to enforce the reduction of pollutants in the atmosphere.
What are some other major factors of air pollution, both natural and man-made? What industries contribute the most to air pollution? How does the aerial transport of pollution affect the air quality of certain places? What are the Critical Air Pollutants, where do they come from, and what effects do they have on humans? Do you think that certain areas within one city would have more air pollution than other area? What are some solutions to making the air you breathe cleaner? What government agencies are responsible for this task? What is your president doing about this problem?
Air Pollution: the presence of one or more contaminants in the atmosphere
Urbanization: the process by which cities grow
Particulate matter: material suspended in the air in the form of minute solid particles or liquid droplets
Noxious gases: harmful gases
Upper respiratory infections: diseases characterized by an infection which involves the respiratory tract: nose, sinuses, pharynx, larynx, and lungs

Bronchitis: a lung disease characterized by an inflammation of the bronchi of the lungs. Symptoms include coughing, and the secretion of mucus and phlegm
Pneumonia: an acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) disease marked by inflammation of the lungs and caused by viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms and sometimes by physical and chemical irritants
Air Quality Index: a measure of the quantity of harmful particles & chemicals in the air
Clean Air Act: a United States environmental law that requires the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to develop and enforce regulations to protect the general public from exposure to airborne contaminants that are known to be hazardous to human health

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Discover the major sources of air pollution in the Miami area.
Materials:
Part 1: www.scorecard.org
Street map of Miami
Stickers/pushpins (6 colors)
Construction Paper (6 colors)
Markers
Ruler
Part 2: Pollution Patrol (Dust Particle Monitoring – 2
Saturdays)
Adhesive labels
Scissors
Small Boxes
Part 1
1.
Log on to www.scorecard.org
2.
Under “Investigate Pollution Topics”, go to “Air” and click on “smog and Particles”; then click on “criteria air pollutants”
3.
On each sheet of construction paper, describe one of the 6 criteria pollutants, its sources, and its suspected effects. Make sure that each criteria pollutant is on a different color paper.
4.
Now, you will plot the local polluters of each criteria pollutant. Go ‘Back’ to the previous web page and scroll down and click on “Provide Zipcode”.
Enter your zipcode to receive the report for Miami-
Dade County. Click on “Map Locating the Pollution
Sources”. Under the Graph, you will see “Rank facilities in Dade County by criteria air pollutant emissions”. Enter there. This will give you the 25 facilities most responsible for one of the criteria pollutants.
5.
Click on each of the top 5 facilities to get their addresses, and plot on the map using a sticker/pushpin of the same color as the paper that you wrote the information about that particular criteria pollutant on.
6.
Repeat this with each of the 5 remaining criteria pollutants.

Questions:
1.
What are the six criteria air pollutants?
2.
What are some of the main health effects of these pollutants?
3.
Where are most of the pollution source facilities located? Describe the areas where they are found.
4.
Where do you think most of this pollution is ending up?
Part 2 – Pollution Patrol:
1.
If the box has a top, remove it or cut it off.
2.
With the sticky side of the label facing out, tape one label to each side of the box, and tape one on the inside floor of the box.
3.
Find a place within the museum to tape more labels, like under a shelf or in the ceiling of a closet.
4.
Place the boxes in locations that you think might have high levels of air pollutions. Put the box in a place where it will be exposed to the air, but sheltered from rain, and a couple of feet off the ground.
5.
This activity will be continued next Saturday.
See how much pollution your air test kits collected.
Materials:
Magnifying glass
Ruler
Boxes and labels from last Saturday

1.
Carefully remove all labels and tape to a piece of paper.
2.
Next to each label, describe where it was located for the past 7 days, and if it was on the box, describe where it was on the box and the orientation of the box.
3.
Look at the six labels and describe any differences.
Make sure to take a closer look with the magnifying glass.
4.
Draw three 1cm squares on the label from the floor of the box.
5.
Using the magnifying glass, count the number of particles within each square (if there are too many to count, estimate).
6.
Average the counts from the 3 squares. This value indicates the amount of pollution in the area where you placed the box.
Questions:
1.
Do you see any differences among the appearance of the six labels? Describe.
2.
Did the 4 sides of the box receive equal amounts of particles?
3. Where are most of the large particles? Why is this so?
4.
Did you find any evidence of materials from plants or animals, or of materials that appears to be man-made?
5. Counts under 100 particles per square centimeter indicate little particulate pollution, between 100 and
500 pps indicate mild particulate pollution, and over
500 pps indicate high particulate pollution. Based on your average count from Step 6, how much pollution was in the area where you placed your box?