Environmental Science
Name: ______________________________
Air
Section Goal: The student will describe three possible short-term effects and long-term effects of air pollution
on human health, explain what causes indoor air pollution and how it can be prevented.
Vocabulary:
1. sick-building syndrome
2. asbestos
Notes: Chapter 6.2: Air, Noise and Light Pollution
• Air pollution can cause serious ______________ problems; especially, the very young, the very old and
those with _______________ or ___________________problems
• Air pollution aggravates existing diseases; death certificates indicate emphysema, asthma, lung cancer as
causes rather than ___________ pollution
• Americans pay tens of billions of dollars a year in ______________________ costs to treat respiratory
diseases attributed to air pollution
Short-Term Effects of Air Pollution on Health
 Many of the effects of air pollution on people’s health are ______________________________ and are
reversible IF their exposure decreases
 ________________________ of short-term exposure: headache; nausea; irritation to the eyes, nose and
throat; tightness in the chest; coughing; upper respiratory infections (bronchitis, pneumonia)
 Pollution can make ___________________ and emphysema worsen in individuals with these conditions
Chronic Bronchitis and Asthma
• Chronic Bronchitis is the ______________________ inflammation of the bronchial linings; constant
coughing ________________________ the bronchial tubes and eventually breathing becomes difficult;
particulates, oxides and acids of sulfur and nitrogen are the main _________________________.
• Bronchial asthma is a condition in which the bronchial passages _____________________ and become
blocked with ______________________; the same pollutants mentioned above are largely responsible
for aggravating asthma; asthma is not caused by ________pollution but the air pollutants may worsen it
Emphysema and Lung Cancer
• Air pollution has been linked to __________________________________ (air sacs in the lungs lose
their elasticity and can __________ longer push air out of the lungs, thus the exchange of oxygen and
carbon dioxide is impaired); sufferers _________________________ perform even the simplest of tasks
without gasping for air
• ________________________________ is also linked to air pollution; cigarette smoking is the major
cause of lung cancer; automobile exhaust and particulates also contribute to lung cancer
• Non-smoking city dwellers are 3 to 4 times likely to _______________________ lung cancer than
nonsmoking residents in rural areas
Indoor Air Pollution
• The air _________________________ buildings is sometime ________________ than the air outside
(Americans spend 89%of their time indoors)
• Plastic and other industrial compounds are a ___________________ source of pollution (ex: carpet,
building material, paint, furniture)
• Buildings that have windows that _______________ allow pollutants to circulate and pass out of the
building; ones that are tightly ___________________ up, pollutants will accumulate and reach higher
•
•
levels than they could outdoors
Sick-building syndrome (buildings with ________________ air quality) are most often found in the
desert Southwest, Southern California and Florida (a new, tightly sealed county courthouse had to be
abandoned; half the employees developed allergic reactions to the fungi growing in the air conditioning
ducts, ceiling tiles, carpets and furniture).
______________________________ in air-conditioning systems can help relieve indoor air pollution,
but not all can be removed; it is best to __________________________ a building with outdoor air;
when performing renovations and painting, you should be sure to have good ventilation
Asbestos
• Asbestos is the name given to a combination of several _______________________ containing silica
that are valued for their strength and resistance to __________________ (form in long, thin fibers)
• Asbestos was _______________________________ used as an insulator and as a fire retardant, also
used extensively in building materials; government banned the use of most products in the early 1970’s
• Also widely used to ___________________________ cement, make brake linings, vinyl floor tiles,
residential siding, firefighters clothing, and used in commercial buildings (schools, US has spent over
$40 billion to remove from buildings)
• Asbestos fibers can _______________ and ____________________ the lungs (asbestosis), causing
victims to have trouble breathing which will lead to heart failure
Lesson Reflection:
Use the handout and page 159 in your book to complete the diagram of some indoor air pollutants and
their sources.
Assessment:
1. Describe the long-term effects and the short-term effects of air pollution on health.
2. Describe two ways in which indoor air pollution can be prevented.
Active Reading: Air, Noise and Light Pollution
Lesson extension (Technology/Application/Connection to real-world):
1. Asbestos Contamination Activity: (Group Work)
Students will divide up into three groups. Each group will be assigned a few questions to
research and report their findings to the rest of the class.