Name: Kate Vogel
Course: Humanities Core 2
Teacher: Mrs. Parker
Date: 9/13/2011
The Health Effects of Air Pollution
Air is one of our essential needs. However, when our air gets polluted it causes
many health problems. There is an estimation of about 2 million deaths each year from
air pollution (“Air Pollution”). One of the major effects from air pollution is lung cancer.
Another result of breathing polluted air is bronchitis. An additional effect of air pollution
is heart disease. While there are many negative effects of air pollution these are the three
leading causes of death from air pollution.
While most people link smoking as the only cause for lung cancer, research has
concluded that air pollution plays a role as well. According to AJ Cohen an expert on
lung cancer, “The excess lung cancer risk associated with ambient air pollution is small
compared with that from cigarette smoking. However, given the ubiquity of combustion
source ambient air pollution exposure, the contribution of this exposure across a
population may be of public health importance” (“Lung Cancer and Air Pollution”). This
re-enforces the fact that air pollution has a major effect on human health. However,
according to AJ Cohen’s research, “Errors in the measurement of air pollution exposure
and in the measurement of other risk factors including cigarette smoking continue to limit
our ability to quantify the magnitude of the excess lung cancer risks associated with air
pollution” (“Lung Cancer and Air Pollution”). Although it is clear that air pollution is
linked to lung cancer, it is also obvious more study will be required to accurately quantify
the effects of air pollution on lung cancer. However, lung cancer is not the only
respiratory disease caused by air pollution.
Another respiratory disease caused by air pollution is bronchitis. According to P.
J. Lawther, the director of the medical research council group for research on
atmospheric pollution, “There is a growing mass of evidence to suggest that air pollution
may be an important factor in the causation of chronic bronchitis”(“Air Pollution
Health”). Moreover, Manfred Kaiser claimed “ People already suffering from existing
respiratory disorders often have their symptoms of asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and
other lung diseases intensified due to air pollutants” (“Health Effects of Air Pollution”).
Accordingly, the medical community seems divided as to whether air pollution is the root
cause of bronchitis or simply an agent that intensifies the disease. Regardless, it is clear
that there is a link between air pollution and bronchitis. The respiratory system diseases
are not the only negative medical effect of air pollution; heart disease also plays a serious
part.
Air pollution causes a narrowing of arteries, a common form of heart disease,
similar to the effect caused by smoking. According to a position statement by the heart
and stroke foundation of Canada “Many studies have shown that air pollution increases
the risk of death and illness due to heart disease and stroke”(“Heart Disease and Air
Pollution”). But more specifically Prof. Kuenzli, a medical research scientist, stated “Our
study found that air pollution may contribute to cardiovascular problems at a very early
stage of the disease, similar to smoking, and enhances atherosclerosis, which is the
underlying disease process of cardiovascular diseases” (“Pollution and Heart Diseases”)
Clearly many studies have been performed that links heart disease to air pollution.
Air pollution is becoming a serious health issue, affecting both our respiratory and
cardiovascular systems, including lung cancer, bronchitis, and heart disease. As a result
air pollution is causing an increase number in human deaths each year. For this reason
reducing air pollution needs to become a priority for each of us. There are many ways
you can help to reduce air pollution. Some examples of this are, driving less, turning off
the lights when you leave a room, carpooling, and using cleaner energy sources. With a
little effort on everyone’s part, we can reduce the amount of health related deaths caused
by air pollution.
Work Cited
-There is an estimation of about 2 million deaths each year from air pollution
" A i r P o l l u t i o n . " n . p a g . We b . 3 S e p 2 0 1 1 .
<http://m yecoproject.org/get -involved/pollution/>.
-“The excess lung cancer risk associated with ambient air pollution is small compared
with that from cigarette smoking. However, given the ubiquity of combustion source
ambient air pollution exposure, the contribution of this exposure across a population may
be of public health importance.”
-“Errors in the measurement of air pollution exposure and in the measurement of other
risk factors including cigarette smoking continue to limit our ability to quantify the
magnitude of the excess lung cancer risks associated with air pollution.”
“ L u n g C a n c e r a n d A i r P o l l u t i o n ” ( 1 9 9 5 ) : n . p a g . We b . 3 S e p
2 0 1 1 . < h t t p : / / w w w. n c b i . n l m . n i h . g o v / p m c / a r t i c l e s / P M C 1 5 1 8 9 6 1 / p
df/envhper00368-0217.pdf>.
-“There is a growing mass of evidence to suggest that air pollution may be an important
factor in the causation of chronic bronchitis”
" A i r P o l l u t i o n H e a l t h . " ( 2 0 0 4 ) : n . p a g . We b . 3 S e p 2 0 1 1 .
<http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/109/21/2655.full>.
-“ People already suffering from existing respiratory disorders often have their symptoms
of asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and other lung diseases intensified due to air
pollutants”
" H e a l t h E f f e c t s o f A i r P o l l u t i o n . " M a y 2 0 0 6 . We b . 3 S e p 2 0 1 1 .
< h t t p : / / w w w. h c - s c . g c . c a / e w h - s e m t / a i r / o u t ext/effe/health_effects -effets_sante-eng.php>.
-“Many studies have shown that air pollution increases the risk of death and illness due to
heart disease and stroke.”
"Heart Disease and Air Pollution." June 2009. n. pag.
We b . 3 S e p 2 0 1 1 . < h t t p : / / w w w . h e a r t a n d s t r o k e . o n . c a / s i t e / c . p v I 3 I e N
WJwE/b.5264879/k.CD07/Position_Statements__Air_Pollution_
Heart_Disease_and_Strok e.htm>.
-“Our study found that air pollution may contribute to cardiovascular problems at a very
early stage of the disease, similar to smoking, and enhances atherosclerosis, which is the
underlying disease process of cardiovascular diseases.”
" P o l l u t i o n a n d H e a r t D i s e a s e . " N o v . 2 0 0 4 . n . p a g . We b . 3 S e p
2 0 11 . <h tt p: // n ews . b b c. co .u k /2 /h i/ heal t h/ 39 9 1 63 3 .s tm >.