1. Ozone an, both components of “photochemical smog”, irritate eyes, impair vision, make breathing difficult, and aggravate asthma. Moreover, they aggravate chronic lung diseases and reduce resistance to colds and pneumonia. Meanwhile, speed up aging of lungs cell through oxidation2. Allergens: Allergens such as pollen, house dust mites’ feces and moulds in indoor environments of high humidity can cause allergic asthma (reversible narrowing of lower airways), allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in children and young adults, and recurrent bouts of pneumonia or milder attacks of breathlessness.
3. Asbestos and other mineral fibers may be a cause of an increased incidence of lung cancer. Acute exposure to asbestos and glass fibers can cause severe skin irritation.
4. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the air obstructs breathing and irritates eyes. Further, it aggravates asthma and chronic bronchitis. But, its effect is far greater when it gets adsorbed on moist tissues in the lungs. It forms sulphuric acid which burns into the lungs and causes respiratory ailments. Nitric acid, similarly formed, also causes respiratory ailments in a like manner. Both NO2 and SO2 contribute to acid rain.
5. Nitrogen Oxides (NOX): Nitrogen oxides are smog-forming chemicals, created by the burning of gasoline, natural gas, coal, oil etc.
Cars are a major source of NO2. Health effects include lung damage and illnesses of the respiratory organs.
6. Lead is poured into the atmosphere through automobile exhaust, paints, smelter, lead manufacture factory, storage batteries etc. When inhaled, it accumulates in bones and other tissues, threatening to cause irreversible brain and kidney damage. Young children are most vulnerable because their nervous systems are still developing. Excessive absorption of lead can decrease a child's intelligence, shorten his or her attention span, cause learning disabilities or cause hyperactivity. Elevated blood lead levels in adult males have been linked to high blood pressures indicating that many heart attacks may be brought on by lead in the systems. Further, lead causes digestive and other health problems ultimately, causing carcinogenic.
7. Carbon monoxide (CO), Carbon Monoxide results from burning of gasoline, natural gas, coal, oil etc. and incomplete burning of any organic material. CO reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood by combining with hemoglobin to form carboxyhaemoglobin. And thus it brings about asphyxiation. In minute quantities, it can cause breathlessness, tiredness, impairs perception and thinking. At high levels it causes collapse, coma, irreversible brain cell damage, and ultimately death.
8. Particulate Matter (PM): In addition to smoke and soot generated by burning of fossil fuels, tobacco smoke, by industrial processes, agriculture, wild fires etc., particulate matter consists of tiny aerosol particles formed from gaseous emissions of sulfur dioxide and VOCs. Particulate pollution is classified by size, with finer particles (PM2.5, i.e. particles of 2.5 microns size and less) considered to be more dangerous than coarser material (PM10) because they are small enough to evade the body’s respiratory defence mechanisms and lodge deep in lung tissue. For that reason, these tiny particles appear to have the greatest health-damaging potential. Many scientific studies have linked breathing PM to a series of significant health problems, including:
• Nose and throat irritation
• Increases in respiratory symptoms (like coughing and difficult or painful breathing)
• aggravated asthma
• decreased lung function
• Lung damage
• Bronchitis
• Early death
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