Blog #9 Air Pollution

Air Pollution

Reflecting to this week's readings and educational videos on air pollution, I found the content interesting, not only because it is a constant factor of our everyday lives and the negative health impact it has on the health of populations, but also I had a very limited knowledge on what makes up the air pollutants.  The 1970 Clean Air Act set emission standards on the six major air pollutants which are: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter (PM).  The PM is a combination of extremely small particles of liquid droplets made up of acids, organic chemicals, metals and soil and dust.  The modifiable PM are from mechanical, industry, vehicle emissions and tobacco smoke, and now more recently from e-cigarettes vapors.  I read the PM in the air can contribute to over 800,000 premature deaths worldwide.  This number is substantive and it shocked me of its magnitude.
I accessed the environmental screening for hazardous air pollutants and I found that lead found in 50 cities in California was ranked from #1, the worst city with air pollutants, which is L.A., following into #2 place is San Francisco, #3 Alameda, #4 place is San Diego and 5th place is Fresno; the least polluted city is Calaveras. These statistics came from number of housing units that contain lead in the homes.
My next investigation was on the ultra violet (UV) index for Fresno, where I work and live.  This UV index is reported daily with a range from 0 - 10+.  Today on 09/26, the UV index is 7, making it unhealthy and high risk of sunburn.  The website for air quality publishes protection guidelines for the public to follow to lessen the impact of poor air quality on the health of individuals.  The air quality advisory recommends with a UV index of 7, people should stay indoors or in the shade between the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the sun is the strongest.  The site also advises to wear wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses and UVA and UVB SPF 30 sunscreen and long sleeves if one plans on going outdoors.
My third investigation was through the Lung Association website on PM pollution, it was a report card on the air quality across the U.S.  I put in the zip code for Fresno (93720) and the annual grade is a fail with PM measuring 29.0.  San Francisco got a D for today and a pass for the annual average of 2.3.  The cleanest cities year round are: Cheyenne, Wy, Kahului-Lahaina-Wailulku-Honolulu, HI.
The journal articles and the videos are all relevant to my practice in Internal Medicine where I work.  By educating parents of children about how air quality can impair lung function and growth are both important information, and it is particularly important to sensitive individuals with asthma.  The short term health effects are significant in the quality of life for all ages but the long term health effects are also concerning since most of the PM affect the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, causing early mortality.