Environmental Pollution and Health

Health Hazards

Even healthy people are experiencing health impacts from Pollution, including respiratory problems or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. Your actual risk of adverse effects depends on your current health status, type of pollutants and concentration, and the period of your exposure to the polluted air.

High pollution levels leads to immediate health problems including:

• Aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness
• Added stress to heart and lungs, which must work harder to supply the body with oxygen
• Damaged cells in the respiratory system
• Fluoride containing pollutants cause fluorosis i.e. neuromuscular, respira­tory, gastro intestinal and dental problems.

Long-term exposure to polluted air/water can have permanent health effects such as:

• Accelerated aging of the lungs
• Loss of lung capacity and failure lung function
• Development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer
• Shortened life span
• Typhoid, bacillary dysentery, cholera and amoebic dysentery are the predominant health hazards arising from drinking contaminated water.
• Radio-active pollutants enter humans and accumulated in the blood, thyroid gland, liver, bones and muscles.

Those most susceptible to severe health problems from pollution are:

• Individuals with heart disease, coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure
• Individuals with lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Pregnant women and Outdoor workers
• Older adults and the elderly
• Children under 14
• Athletes who exercise vigorously

People in these groups may experience health impacts at lower, or their health effects may be of greater intensity.