Outdoor Air Pollution:

Outdoor air pollution is mainly due to small particles and ground level ozone that comes from car exhaust, smoke, road dust and smoke and chemicals pumping out from factories and power plants. Moreover, pollen from plants, crops and weeds also affect the quality of air.

Natural things like volcanic eruptions, wild fires, wind currents and trees can also contribute. and pollution is high near busy roads, factories and where people burn things (bio masses).

Here are 6 common air pollutants:

• Ozone.
• Particulate matter.
• Carbon monoxide.
• Nitrogen oxide.
• Sulfur dioxide.
• Lead.

Actions you can take to protect yourself from polluted air:

• Monitor the air quality by way of the local weather report.
• Remove indoor plants if they irritate or produce allergic symptoms.
• Filter the air coming into the home with an air conditioner.
• If you are showing warning signs of asthma, limit your outdoor activity.
• When pollutants are high, close your windows and stay inside.
• Avoiding outdoor activities near busy roads especially during rush hours.
• When walking, jogging or engaged in outdoor exercise, consider alternative routes with lower levels of pollution.

Indoor Air Pollution

Indoor Air Pollution refers to the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of air in indoors - within a home, school or other building. Different conditions are responsible for indoor air pollution in the rural areas and the urban areas.

Rural Areas and Urban Slums

In developing countries like Sri Lanka, rural areas and urban slums face the greatest threat from indoor pollution. Globally 3.5 billion people continue to rely on traditional fuels such as firewood, charcoal, household refuse, polythene bags, plastic cups etc for cooking and food preparation. Burning such fuels produce large amounts of smoke and other air pollutants in the confined space of the home, resulting in high exposure. Women and children are the groups most vulnerable as they spend more time indoors and are exposed to the smoke.

In 1992, the World Bank designated indoor air pollution in the developing countries as one of the four most critical global environmental problems. Daily averages of pollutant level emitted indoors often exceed current WHO guidelines and acceptable levels.

Although many hundreds of separate chemical agents have been identified in the smoke from bio-fuels, the four most serious pollutants are particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide, polycyclic organic matter, and formaldehyde.

Urban Areas

Exposure to indoor air pollution has increased due to many reasons, including the construction of more tightly sealed buildings, reduced ventilation, the use of synthetic materials for building and furnishing and the use of chemical products, pesticides, and household care products. Indoor air pollution can begin within the building or be drawn in from outdoors. Other than nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead, there are a number of other pollutants that affect the air quality in an enclosed space. Here is a breakdown of some of these pollutants:

Volatile organic compounds (VOC)

• VOC originates mainly from solvents and chemicals. The main indoor sources are perfumes, hair sprays, furniture polish, glues, air fresheners, moth repellents, wood preservatives, and many other products used in the house. The main health effect is the imitation of the eye, nose and throat. In more severe cases there may be headaches, nausea and loss of coordination. In the long term, some of the pollutants are suspected to damage to the liver and other parts of the body.

Tobacco Smoke

This generates a wide range of harmful chemicals and is known to cause cancer. It is well known that passive smoking causes a wide range of problems to the passive smoker ranging from burning eyes, nose, and throat irritation to cancer, bronchitis, severe asthma, and a decrease in lung function.

Burning of mosquito coils & incense

Kerosene

Pesticides

• Biological Pollutants
  Biological pollutants include pollen from plants, mites, hair from pets, fungi, parasites, and some bacteria. Most of them are allergens and can cause asthma, hay fever, and other allergic diseases.
• Formaldehyde
  Formaldehyde is a gas that comes mainly from carpets, particle boards, and insulation foam. It causes irritation to the eyes and nose and may cause allergies in some people.
  
• Detergents
  
• Asbestos
  Asbestos is mainly a concern because it is suspected to cause cancer.
  
• Radon
  Radon is a gas that is emitted naturally by the soil. Due to modern houses having poor ventilation, it is confined inside the house causing harm to the dwellers.
  

Health Effects of Air Pollution

Respiratory Tract Infections

• Asthma (for more information, visit www.asthmapodiththo.com
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Lung cancer

(Pigeon breeding and lovebirds - Pigeon / Bird breeder’s lung / bird fancier’s lung)

Bird fancier's lung is a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by bird droppings. The lungs recognize these bodies and react against for these foreign materials by initiating a granulomatous inflammation. This disease is caused by the exposure to avian proteins present in the dry dust of the droppings and sometimes in the feathers of some of birds such as pigeons, parakeets, cockatiels, shell parakeets budgerigars, parrots, turtle doves, turkey and chickens. But everyone who has birds does not get this disease because of the varying degrees of sensitivity in the people to these particles. In addition to that the birds do produce a dust that can trigger allergic reactions that include hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic rhinitis and some forms of asthma. Sometimes these allergic reactions develop in people who have mild allergic reactions or no reactions at all as prolong exposure can increase the sensitivity to the bird dust.

The disease can present as both acute and chronic forms .Depending on the onset the clinical symptoms vary. It can lead to serious injury to the lung, leading to fibrosis or scaring of gas exchanging surfaces of the lung. This can lead to respiratory failure and death.