Question

Choose one of the most predominant environmental health burdens (household air pollution, ambient air, water, sanitation, and hygiene) to global health, define the burden, and list its effect on affected populations.

Answer 1

Ambient Air pollution

• The term ambient air pollution refers to the air pollution in the outdoor environment. When pollutants such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, black carbon, zone reaches high level contaminates the air and affects human health and the environment.
• Two sources of outdoor air pollution are: Natural and Anthropogenic sources
• Natural sources includes forest fires, dust storms etc.
• Anthropogenic sources includes heat and power generation, fuel combustion from motor vehicles, industrial pollution and burning of wastes.

Effects on affected population:

• Globally, the death rate dute to ambient air pollution has increased, where of all deaths and disease 29% accounts from lung cancer, 17% from acute lower respiratory infection, 24% from stroke, 25% of from ischaemic heart disease, 43% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Short and long term exposure to air pollutants leads to adverse health consequences such as asthma, reduced lung function annd respiratory infections in humans. It also affects diabetic patients and causes neurological disorders in children.
• Particulate matter (PM) of less than 10 and 2.5 microns enters the bloodstream through the passage of lungs and causes cerebrovascular, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.