CHAPTER 12 2 Air Noise and Light Pollution

CHAPTER 12 -2 Air, Noise, and Light Pollution

WARM-UP

AIR POLLUTION • Air pollution cause serious health problems • very young, very old, or who have heart or lung problems. • Air pollution adds to the effects of existing diseases such as • Emphysema • Heart disease • Lung cancer • Americans pay tens of billions of dollars a year in health costs to treat respiratory diseases caused by air pollution.

SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON HEALTH • Many of the effects of air pollution on people’s health are short-term and reversible if their exposure to air pollution decreases. • The short-term effects of air pollution on people’s health include: • • • Headache Nausea Irritation to the eyes, nose and throat Coughing/tightness in the chest; Upper respiratory infections

LONG-TERM HEALTH EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION • Long-term effects on health that have been linked to air pollution include: • Emphysema • Lung cancer • Heart disease.

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM • Developing countries • Indoor burning fuel wood, charcoal, manure • Poor suffer the greatest risk • Developed countries • Indoor air pollution is greater than outdoor air pollution

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION • Plastics and other industrial chemicals are major sources of pollution. • These compounds can be found in: • Carpets • Building materials • Paints • Furniture

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

Chloroform Source: Chlorine-treated water in hot showers Possible threat: Cancer Para-dichlorobenzene Source: Air fresheners, mothball crystals Threat: Cancer 1, 1, 1 -Trichloroethane Tetrachloroethylene Source: Dry-cleaning fluid fumes on clothes Threat: Nerve disorders, damage to liver and kidneys, possible cancer Source: Aerosol sprays Threat: Dizziness, irregular breathing Nitrogen oxides Benzo- α -pyrene Source: Tobacco smoke, woodstoves Threat: Lung cancer Particulates Source: Pollen, pet dander, dust mites, cooking smoke particles Threat: Irritated lungs, asthma attacks, itchy eyes, runny nose, lung disease Source: Pipe insulation, vinyl ceiling and floor tiles Threat: Lung disease, lung cancer Source: Furniture stuffing, paneling, particleboard, foam insulation Threat: Irritation of eyes, throat, skin, and lungs; nausea; dizziness Styrene Source: Carpets, plastic products Threat: Kidney and liver damage Source: Unvented gas stoves and kerosene heaters, woodstoves Threat: Irritated lungs, children's colds, headaches Asbestos Formaldehyde Carbon monoxide Source: Faulty furnaces, unvented gas stoves and kerosene heaters, woodstoves Threat: Headaches, drowsiness, irregular heartbeat, death Tobacco smoke Source: Cigarettes Threat: Lung cancer, respiratory ailments, heart disease Methylene chloride Radon-222 Source: Radioactive soil and rock surrounding foundation, water supply Threat: Lung cancer Source: Paint strippers and thinners Threat: Nerve disorders, diabetes Fig. 18 -16, p. 484

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION • Sick-building syndrome: a set of symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, eye irritation, and dizziness, that may affect workers in modern, airtight office buildings. • Believed to be caused by indoor air pollutants. • Most common in buildings that are tightly insulated

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION • Ventilation, or mixing outdoor air with indoor air, is also necessary for good air quality.

ASBESTOS

ASBESTOS • Asbestos: any of six silicate minerals that form bundles of minute fibers that are heat resistant, flexible, and durable. • Asbestos is primarily uses as an insulator and a fire retardant • Extensively in building materials. • Banned in early 1970 s

ASBESTOS • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ku. HL 7 hi. FTnc

RADON GAS (RADON 222) • Radon gas is colorless, tasteless, odorless, and radioactive. • Radon is one of the elements produced by the decay of uranium 228 (a radioactive element) • Occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust. • Radon can seep through cracks and holes in building foundations

RADON GAS • Sources • Human health risks • Testing for radon • Correcting a radon problem

Outlet vents for furnaces and dryers Open window Cracks in wall Openings around pipes Slab joints Wood stove Cracks Clothes in floor Furnace dryer Slab Radon-222 gas Sump pump Uranium-238 Soil Fig. 18 -18, p. 485

NOISE POLLUTION • Some noises are unnecessary and can cause noise pollution. • Health problems include: • Loss of hearing • High blood pressure • Stress Can weaken immune system • Loss of sleep decreased productivity

NOISE POLLUTION • Decibel: is the most common unit used to measure loudness (d. B) • The quietest sound that a human ear can hear is represented by 0 d. B. • For each increase in decibel intensity, the decibel level is 10 x higher than the previous level. • A sound of 120 d. B is at the threshold of pain • Permanent deafness may come as a result of continuous exposure to sounds over 120 d. B.

NOISE POLLUTION

LIGHT POLLUTION • Light pollution does not present a direct hazard to human health, but it does negatively affect our environment. • Diminishes view of the night sky especially in urban areas

LIGHT POLLUTION • Energy waste: • Shield light so it is directed downward • Use time controls so that light is used only when needed

LIGHT POLLUTION

LIGHT POLLUTION • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=_nl. Fc. Ej 41 Xk

REVIEW QUESTIONS • Page 343 #20 -26 • Complete in your notes or on a separate sheet of paper (to be checked by me at the beginning o f next class)