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Air Pollution

Many people are concerned about air pollution and whether it may affect their health. The fact is that most of the time, air pollution levels are low. The air is certainly a lot cleaner today than in the days of the smog of the 1950's, when factory chimneys belched out smoke and nearly everyone had a coal fire. But if you are concerned about air pollution, there is a free and easy to use service that allows you to check levels in your area.

The following is information on air pollution. This information can be particularly important to people with medical conditions which may be worsened by air pollution.

The five main pollutants are:

• Sulphur dioxide;
• Nitrogen dioxide;
• Ozone;
• Carbon monoxide; and
• Particles (PM10).

The air pollution level reported in the forecasts and summaries is the highest for any single pollutant. For example, if all but one of the pollutants in a region or city were 1–3 (low), with just a single pollutant registering 7 (high), the summary would describe air pollution as 7 (high). In the UK, very high levels of air pollution are rare. That is why the 'very high' band is only number 10.

How could air pollution affect me?

If your health is good, the levels of air pollution we usually experience are unlikely to have any serious short-term effects. On the rare occasions when air pollution levels are high, some people may feel eye irritation, others may start to cough, and some may find that deep breathing hurts.

People with lung diseases or heart conditions are at greater risk, especially if they are elderly. Daily changes in air pollution trigger increased admissions to hospital and contribute to the premature death of those who are seriously ill.

People with heart conditions or severe lung diseases (for example, chronic bronchitis or emphysema) may be more sensitive to changes in air pollution than the descriptions suggest.

It is important to look at the levels and bands in the light of personal experience. Some people – especially those who are sensitive to air pollution – will learn from experience how air pollution affects them. Some may still notice the effects for several days after pollution levels have fallen to low or moderate levels.

Information is only provided about the health effects of short-term exposure to certain air pollutants. Air pollution is also likely to affect health over the longer term. Understanding of the long-term health effects of exposure to air pollution is currently rather limited, but experts suggest that cutting long term exposure to fine particles by half could increase life expectancy by between 1 and 11 months on average. This is not as great as the effect of smoking on life expectancy (on average, non-smokers live 7 years longer than smokers).

There is little evidence that air pollution itself causes asthma.

Research is continuing on this subject. However, if you already have asthma, you may find that air pollution triggers an attack, although infections and allergens are more likely to do so.

If you suffer from lung diseases or a heart condition, you may like to follow the advice below.

HEALTH ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WITH LUNG DISORDERS AND OTHERS SENSITIVE TO AIR POLLUTION

If you have asthma or another lung disease, your symptoms are unlikely to change when air pollution levels are 1–3 (low) or 4–6 (moderate). This applies whatever the time of year.

However, your symptoms may get worse when air pollution reaches the 7–9 (high) or 10 (very high) bands, especially if you are elderly. If this happens, you may need to change your treatment in the usual way. If these steps do not help, consult your doctor.

WHERE DOES AIR POLLUTION COME FROM?

The service reports daily outdoor levels of pollution, mostly from outdoor sources. Different sources are responsible for different pollutants. Road transport is the main source of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Power stations and other industrial sources also produce nitrogen dioxide. Industry is the main source of Sulphur dioxide. Particles come from many sources, including road transport, power stations and other industry. The burning of wood or coal for home heating can also be an important source of Sulphur dioxide and particles. Ground level ozone is not emitted directly from any source. Instead it is formed when sunlight acts on nitrogen dioxide and other atmospheric substances close to the ground. The pollutants that cause ground level ozone come from a range of sources, including petrol and other fuels. Ground level ozone is different to the ozone layer, which is affected by ozone depleting substances, such as CFCs, that have been released into the atmosphere.

Nitrogen dioxide

These gases irritate the airways of the lungs, increasing the Sulphur dioxide symptoms of those suffering from lung diseases.

Particles

Fine particles can be carried deep into the lungs where they can cause inflammation and a worsening of heart and lung diseases.

Carbon monoxide

This gas prevents the normal transport of oxygen by the blood. This can lead to a significant reduction in the supply of oxygen to the heart, particularly in people suffering from heart disease.

DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHERE I LIVE?

People often ask whether they should move home to reduce the risks to their health from exposure to air pollution. This is a difficult question to answer.

It is therefore very difficult to give advice which is relevant to everyone in the same area. Moving home is a major life event and may have other consequences for people’s health. It is unlikely to be worthwhile for people to move simply because of concerns about possible effects of air pollution. However, if a person is in the process of moving, they could consider choosing a lower pollution area. Information is available on levels of air pollutants in different areas to enable people to make their own choice.

HELPING TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION

The Air Quality Strategy sets the framework for local action to reduce pollution. Local authorities monitor and assess air quality and prepare action plans where they identify pollution hot-spots. The environment agencies and local authorities are monitoring and regulating emissions from industry. The European Union and other international organisations are acting to reduce global pollution. The Government and devolved administrations have introduced a wide range of measures, which have substantially cut harmful emissions from road vehicles and encouraged people to use cleaner fuels and vehicles.

POLLUTANT HEALTH EFFECTS AT VERY HIGH LEVELS

Nitrogen dioxide These gases irritate the airways of the lungs, increasing the Sulphur dioxide symptoms of those suffering from lung diseases. Ozone

Particles Fine particles can be carried deep into the lungs where they can cause inflammation and a worsening of heart and lung diseases.

Carbon monoxide This gas prevents the normal transport of oxygen by the blood. This can lead to a significant reduction in the supply of oxygen to the heart, particularly in people suffering from heart disease

But everyone can do their bit to reduce air pollution, especially when pollution levels are high.

On the road

Road vehicles are a major source of many pollutants in urban areas. They produce over 50 per cent of the emissions of nitrogen oxides and over 75 per cent of carbon monoxide emissions.

Before using your car, ask yourself:

• Do I really need to make this journey?
• Could I walk or cycle instead of taking the car?
• Could I take a bus, taxi or train?
• Are the levels of air pollution already too high today?

If you must drive:

• Drive smoothly. You will save fuel, and your engine will also pollute less.
• Do not rev your engine unnecessarily.
• Maintain your car. Keep the engine properly tuned and the tyres at the right pressure.
• Turn off the engine when your car is stationary.

At home

• Buy water-based or low-solvent paints, varnishes, glues and wood preservatives.
• Avoid burning solid fuels, if possible. If you live in a smoke control area, burn only authorised smokeless fuels (your local authority can advise you).
• Avoid lighting bonfires, but if you must, do not light them when pollution levels are high or while the weather is still and cold. Only burn dry material and never burn household waste, especially plastic, rubber, foam or paint. Levels of pollution can be quite high on bonfire night and other events/festivals with bonfires, and sensitive people, including people with respiratory conditions, may notice some effects. However, exposure can be considerably reduced by remaining indoors and keeping windows closed.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

MARINE ARTICLE

UNESCO: Marine Pollution

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Marine Pollution
What is polluting our Oceans?

Land-based sources (such as agricultural run-off, discharge of nutrients and pesticides and untreated sewage including plastics) account for approximately 80% of marine pollution, globally. Marine habitats worldwide are contaminated with man-made debris. Oil spills remain a concern, though actual spills have decreased steadily for several decades.

How is this pollution threatening our Oceans?

Picture 1 © Chris Deacutis
Excessive nutrients from sewage outfalls and agricultural runoff have contributed to the in-creasing incidence of low oxygen (hypoxic) areas known as dead zones, where most marine life cannot survive, resulting in the collapse of some ecosystems. There are now close to 500 dead zones with a total global surface area of over 245 000 km², roughly equivalent to that of the United Kingdom. The excess nitrogen can also stimulate the proliferation of seaweeds and microorganisms and cause algal blooms. Such blooms can be harmful (HABs), causing massive fish kills, contaminating seafood with toxins and altering ecosystems.
Litter can accumulate in huge floating garbage patches or wash up on the coasts. Light, re-sistant plastics float in the Oceans, releasing contaminants as they break down into toxic mi-cro-particles that animals mistake for food. Fish and birds can choke on these particles, get sick as they accumulate in their stomachs, or become entangled in larger debris.
As the world saw in 2010, the Gulf of Mexico deep-water oil spill had a devastating effect on the entire marine ecosystem, as well as the populations that depend on the marine areas for their livelihoods. Smaller oil spills happen every day, due to drilling incidents or leaking mo-tors, and cause the death of birds, marine mammals, algae, fish and shellfish.

How does this affect me?

Picture 2: © IOC UNESCO
Some beaches are already closed to the public because the water is unsuitable for bathing and the beach is covered with litter. Micro-plastics and plastic pellets are found on most beaches around the world. Pollution also poisons our food. The toxins and plastic ingested by fish and shellfish end up in our plates, and the consumption of shellfish and other seafood is often banned briefly to avoid food poisoning.
This pollution costs the fishing and shipping industry millions of dollars:

• Discarded plastic bags get caught in boat propellers and cooling intakes, damaging the engines.
• Loss of habitat and biodiversity is increasingly impairing the ocean’s capacity to pro-vide food and other services. The extinction of fish species could lead to starvation or under-nourishment.
• Ghost fishing that occurs when discarded fishing nets entangle marine life indiscrimi-nately, as they continue to float in the oceans, reduce fishers’ revenues from lost catch.

Competition over declining resources and services provided by the oceans can cause ten-sions and conflicts locally and internationally.

A culture of peace is a culture of sustainable development
The oceans are a vital source of nourishment, especially to people in the world’s poorest na-tions. Many depend on fish for their primary source of protein; fisheries and aquaculture sup-port the livelihoods of about 540 million people (8% of the world’s population) directly or indi-rectly. Overfishing, loss of biodiversity and the possible extinction of species put a stress on these limited resources. This could lead to famine, increased poverty and conflicts, including war. Learning to manage our ocean sustainably is the only path to global prosperity and peace.

What can I do?

Picture 3: © NOAA

• Find out as much as you can about this problem and educate your friends.
• Get involved: there are probably clean-up efforts happening near you!
• Do not discard anything near the coast, when you go to the beach make sure you pick up after yourself.
• Ban toxic products from your boat-maintenance and do not throw anything over-board. Use and overflow system to avoid oil spills, and maintain your boat regularly to avoid leaks.
• Try to green your household and gardening chemical products, use them sparingly and wisely. Do not use fertilizers before it rains or pour oil or chemicals down the drain: they would just end up in the ocean!
• Try to avoid using single-serving plastic items and replace them by reusable items (cloth bags, reusable cups and silverware, non-plastic bottles).
• Refuse excess packaging, try to re-use and recycle as much as possible. Remember that very little of the plastic produced each year is actually recycled and much of it finds its way to the oceans.

What is IOC UNESCO doing?
IOC UNESCO (Question 2.6) believes that science in support of sustainable management is the cornerstone of the preservation of our oceans and their resources. Its Nutrients and Coastal Impacts Research Programme focuses on interactions between climate, nutrients, and coastal dynamics, and the challenges and opportunities that resulting ecosystem chang-es pose for tourism, institutions and governance. Through this activity, IOC is an active part-ner in the Global Partnership for Nutrient Management, which strives to deliver better tools for management of nutrient loading to the marine environment.
Its Harmful Algal Bloom Programme aims to foster the effective management of, and scien-tific research on, harmful algal blooms in order to understand their causes, predict their oc-currences, and mitigate their effects.
Little is known about the full environmental impacts of marine litter, especially in the open oceans where there is almost no information. Trends over time and the effectiveness of management systems are hard to assess without good monitoring methodologies. IOC UNESCO and the UNEP published Guidelines on Survey and Monitoring of Marine Litter to assist policy makers in addressing this problem of monitoring and assessment of marine litter.
IOC UNESCO is a sponsor of the joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP), the United Nations mechanism for collaboration and coordination which conducts assessments and in-depth studies to evaluate the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects, and identify emerging issues. The Commission is coordinating the GESAMP Working Group 40 on ‘Sources, fate and effects of micro-plastics in the environment’.
Keeping the world's oceans and seas under continuing review by integrating existing infor-mation from different disciplines will help to improve the responses from national govern-ments and the international community to the unprecedented environmental changes now occurring.

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