HEALTH EFFECTS OF AIRPORT NOISE AND POLLUTION – The European Commission, which governs the European Union (E.U.), considers living near an airport to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, as increased blood pressure from noise pollution can trigger these more serious maladies. The E.U. estimates that 20% of Europe’s population (about 80 million people) are exposed to airport noise levels it considers unhealthy and unacceptable. Airport noise can also have negative effects on children’s health and development. A 1980 study examining the impact of airport noise on children’s health found higher blood pressure in kids living near Los Angeles’ LAX airport than in those living farther away. A 1995 German study found a link between chronic noise exposure at Munich’s International Airport and elevated nervous system activity and cardiovascular levels in children living nearby. A 2005 study published in the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, found that kids living near airports in Britain, Holland, and Spain lagged behind their classmates in reading by two months for every five-decibel increase above average noise levels in their surroundings. The study also associated aircraft noise with lowered reading comprehension, even after socio-economic differences were considered. Living near an airport also means facing significant exposure to air pollution.

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Health Effects of Airport Noise and Pollution

By Larry West

Researchers have known for years that exposure to excessively loud noise can cause changes in blood pressure as well as changes in sleep and digestive patterns, all signs of stress on the human body.

The very word “noise” itself derives from the Latin word “noxia,” which means injury or hurt.

Airport Noise and Pollution Increase Risk for Illness

On a 1997 questionnaire distributed to two groups (one living near a major airport, and the other in a quiet neighborhood), two-thirds of those living near the airport indicated they were bothered by aircraft noise, and most said that it interfered with their daily activities.

The same two-thirds complained more than the other group of sleep difficulties, and also perceived themselves as being in poorer health.

Perhaps even more alarming, the European Commission, which governs the European Union (E.U.), considers living near an airport to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, as increased blood pressure from noise pollution can trigger these more serious maladies.

The E.U. estimates that 20% of Europe’s population (about 80 million people) are exposed to airport noise levels it considers unhealthy and unacceptable.

Airport Noise Affects Children

Airport noise can also have negative effects on children’s health and development.

A 1980 study examining the impact of airport noise on children’s health found higher blood pressure in kids living near Los Angeles’ LAX airport than in those living farther away.

A 1995 German study found a link between chronic noise exposure at Munich’s International Airport and elevated nervous system activity and cardiovascular levels in children living nearby.

A 2005 study published in the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, found that kids living near airports in Britain, Holland, and Spain lagged behind their classmates in reading by two months for every five-decibel increase above average noise levels in their surroundings.

The study also associated aircraft noise with lowered reading comprehension, even after socio-economic differences were considered.

Citizen Groups Concerned About Effects of Airport Noise and Pollution

Living near an airport also means facing significant exposure to air pollution.

Jack Saporito of the U.S. Citizens Aviation Watch Association (CAW), a coalition of concerned municipalities and advocacy groups, cites several studies linking pollutants common around airports (such as diesel exhaust, carbon monoxide and leaked chemicals) to cancer, asthma, liver damage, lung disease, lymphoma, myeloid leukemia, and even depression.

A recent study pinpointed ground taxiing by planes at busy airports as the source of large amounts of carbon monoxide, which in turn appears to increase the prevalence of asthma within 10 kilometers of the airport.

CAW is lobbying for the clean- up of jet engine exhaust as well as the scrapping or modification of airport expansion plans across the country.

Another group working on this issue is Chicago’s Alliance of Residents Concerning O’Hare, which lobbies and conducts extensive public education campaigns in an effort to cut noise and pollution and rein in expansion plans at the world’s busiest airport.

According to the group, five million area residents may be suffering adverse health effects as a result of O’Hare, only one of four major airports in the region.

Larry West

Environmental Journalist

Education

B.A., Journalism and Creative Writing, University of Washington

Introduction

Environmental journalist with 20+ years of experience

Winner, Edward J. Meeman Award for Environmental Reporting

Writer and editor for Go West Strategic Communications since 2002

Experience

Larry West is a former writer for ThoughtCo who contributed articles for five years. He is a principal and professional writer and editor for Go West Strategic Communications. He has written about environmental issues for leading newspapers, magazines, and online publications. 

During his 20-year career in newspapers, Larry was part of an investigative team whose work was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He also received the Meeman Award for national environmental reporting from the Scripps Howard Foundation. Later, Larry served as press secretary and deputy chief of staff for a U.S. Representative and served as communications director for a U.S. Senator. He also managed public affairs for organizations including the Federal Aviation Administration, a global technology company, and one of the largest ports in the United States. In each of those positions, Larry was involved in environmental strategy, policy, and communications. 

Education

Larry studied journalism and creative writing at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. He also taught research and writing courses in continuing education programs at the University of Washington and the University of Alaska. 

Awards and Publications

While working as a journalist for "The Seattle Times," Larry's work was awarded the Edward J. Meeman Award for Environmental Reporting by Scripps Howard, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

ThoughtCo and Dotdash

ThoughtCo is a premier reference site focusing on expert-created education content. We are one of the top-10 information sites in the world as rated by comScore, a leading Internet measurement company. Every month, more than 13 million readers seek answers to their questions on ThoughtCo.

For more than 20 years, Dotdash brands have been helping people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired. We are one of the top-20 largest content publishers on the Internet according to comScore, and reach more than 30% of the U.S. population monthly. Our brands collectively have won more than 20 industry awards in the last year alone, and recently Dotdash was named Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.

https://www.thoughtco.com/health-effects-of-airport-noise-and-pollution-1204091

AIR POLLUTION - The term "air pollution" is used so commonly that you may not think definitions are necessary. Some sources define smog as the presence of unnatural levels of ground-level ozone, while other sources say things like "fog mixed with smoke." A more modern and precise definition is "a photochemical haze caused by the action of solar ultraviolet radiation on atmosphere polluted with hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen especially from automobile exhaust." Officially, air pollution can be defined as the presence of harmful substances in the air, either particulates or microscopic biologic molecules, that pose health hazards to living organisms, such as people, animals or plants. Air pollution comes in many forms and may include a number of different pollutants and toxins in various combinations. Air pollution is far more than a nuisance or inconvenience. Air pollution causes the deaths of approximately 4.2 million people annually worldwide. The two most widespread types of air pollution are the ozone and particle pollution (soot), but air pollution also may include serious pollutants such as carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and toxins such as mercury, arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde, and acid gases. Most of these pollutants are man-made, but some air pollution is due to natural causes, such as ash from volcanic eruptions.

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Air Pollution

What Is Air Pollution?

Definition, Facts, and Environmental Risks

By Larry West

The term "air pollution" is used so commonly that you may not think definitions are necessary. But the issue is more complicated than it first appears. 

Ask most people to define air pollution, and their first response is to describe smog, the smelly stuff that turns the air brown or gray and hovers over urban centers like Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Beijing.

Even here, though, definitions vary.

Some sources define smog as the presence of unnatural levels of ground-level ozone, while other sources say things like "fog mixed with smoke."

A more modern and precise definition is "a photochemical haze caused by the action of solar ultraviolet radiation on atmosphere polluted with hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen especially from automobile exhaust."

Officially, air pollution can be defined as the presence of harmful substances in the air, either particulates or microscopic biologic molecules, that pose health hazards to living organisms, such as people, animals or plants.

Air pollution comes in many forms and may include a number of different pollutants and toxins in various combinations.

Air pollution is far more than a nuisance or inconvenience.

According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes the deaths of approximately 4.2 million people annually worldwide.

What Constitutes Air Pollution?

The two most widespread types of air pollution are the ozone and particle pollution (soot), but air pollution also may include serious pollutants such as carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and toxins such as mercury, arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde, and acid gases.

Most of these pollutants are man-made, but some air pollution is due to natural causes, such as ash from volcanic eruptions. 

The specific composition of air pollution in a particular location depends primarily on the source or sources of pollution.

Automobile exhaust, coal-fired power plants, industrial factories, and other pollution sources all spew different types of pollutants and toxins into the air.

While we think of air pollution as a condition describing outside air, the air quality within your home is equally important.

Cooking vapors, carbon monoxide from heating appliances, off-gassing of formaldehyde and other chemicals from furniture and construction materials, and secondhand tobacco smoke are all potentially dangerous forms of indoor air pollution. 

Air Pollution and Your Health

Air pollution hovers at unhealthy levels in almost every major U.S. city, interfering with people’s ability to breathe, causing or aggravating many serious health conditions, and placing lives at risk.

Many cities worldwide face the same issues, especially in so-called emerging economies such as China and India, where cleaner technologies are not yet in standard usage. 

Breathing ozone, particle pollution or other types of air pollution can seriously damage your health.

Inhaling ozone can irritate your lungs, "resulting in something like a bad sunburn within the lungs," according to the American Lung Association. Breathing particle pollution (soot) can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke and early death, and it may necessitate emergency-room visits for people with asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

A great many cancers are traced to chemical air pollutants. 

Air pollution is also a problem in developing countries that are not yet fully industrialized.

More than half the world's population still cook their meals with wood, dung, coal or other solid fuels over open fires or on primitive stoves inside their homes, breathing high levels of pollutants such as particulate pollution and carbon monoxide, which results in 1.5 million unnecessary deaths every year.

Who Is Most at Risk?

The health risks of air pollution are greatest among infants and young children, older adults and people with respiratory diseases such as asthma.

People who work or exercise outside also face increased health risks from the effects of air pollution, along with people who live or work near busy highways, factories or power plants.

In addition, minorities and people with low incomes are often disproportionately affected by air pollution because of where they live, which places them at higher risk for illnesses related to air pollution.

Low-income populations often live near industrial or inner-city zones where factories, utilities, and other industrial sources may create unusually high levels of air pollution. 

Air Pollution and the Health of the Planet

If air pollution affects humans, it of course also may also have an impact on animals and plant life.

Many animal species are threatened by high levels of air pollution, and weather conditions created by air pollution affect both animal and plant life.

For example, acid rain caused by the burning of fossil fuels has radically changed the nature of forests in the U.S. Northeast, upper Midwest, and Northwest.

And it is now indisputable that air pollution causes shifts in global weather patterns — the raising of global temperatures, the melting of polar ice sheets and the coming rise in ocean water levels. 

How Can Air Pollution Be Reduced?

The evidence is clear that our personal choices and industrial practices can affect the levels of air pollution.

Cleaner industrial technologies are shown to lower air pollution levels, and it can be demonstrated that anytime more primitive industrial practices increase, so do levels of dangerous air pollution.

Here are some of the obvious ways that humans can, and have reduced air pollution: 

o    Reduction of fossil fuel burning in favor of renewable energy sources. Nations that obtain their electrical power from nuclear, hydroelectric, solar and wind power have lower pollution levels than those that favor the burning of coal or natural gas. 

o    Improved gas mileage in automobiles and the introduction of electric-powered vehicles. California, for example, once plagued with dangerous smog, has greatly improved its air quality through tight controls on automobile emissions standards. Similarly, reduction in the use of other internal combustion engines can reduce air pollution. The shift to battery-operated or electric lawn mowers and lawn equipment, for example, has a demonstrable effect on air quality. 

o    Reduction in agricultural burning — the method of clearing forested areas for agriculture — can reduce the level of smoke and carbon dioxide in the air. This is a particular problem in developing countries. 

o    Reducing wood burning can also reduce levels of smoke in the air. In some communities, wood fireplaces are now outlawed, greatly reducing dangerous levels of smoke in the air. Gas fireplaces are better than wood-burners, and even better are electric fireplaces that burn no fuels at all. 

o    Indoor air quality is improved when tobacco smoking is restricted by ordinance. Citizen pressure to restrict smoking in public places has a real effect on air quality. 

o    Reduction of chemical compounds in paints, adhesives, and solvents has improved the quality of indoor and outdoor air. Always look for low VOC materials for home improvements, and where practical, opt for water-based rather than solvent-based paints and other materials. Look for carpets, fabrics, and furniture that don't off-gas dangerous fumes. 

Controlling pollution is possible, but it requires the individual and political will to do so, and these efforts must constantly be balanced with economic realities, as green technologies are often more expensive, especially when they are first introduced. 

Such choices are in the hands of each individual: for example, do you buy a cheap but dirty automobile or an expensive electric car?

Or are jobs for coal miners more important than clean air? 

These complex questions are not easily answered by individuals or governments, but they are questions that should be considered and debated with eyes open to the real effects of air pollution. 

Larry West

Environmental Journalist

Education

B.A., Journalism and Creative Writing, University of Washington

Introduction

Environmental journalist with 20+ years of experience

Winner, Edward J. Meeman Award for Environmental Reporting

Writer and editor for Go West Strategic Communications since 2002

Experience

Larry West is a former writer for ThoughtCo who contributed articles for five years. He is a principal and professional writer and editor for Go West Strategic Communications. He has written about environmental issues for leading newspapers, magazines, and online publications. 

During his 20-year career in newspapers, Larry was part of an investigative team whose work was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He also received the Meeman Award for national environmental reporting from the Scripps Howard Foundation. Later, Larry served as press secretary and deputy chief of staff for a U.S. Representative and served as communications director for a U.S. Senator. He also managed public affairs for organizations including the Federal Aviation Administration, a global technology company, and one of the largest ports in the United States. In each of those positions, Larry was involved in environmental strategy, policy, and communications. 

Education

Larry studied journalism and creative writing at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. He also taught research and writing courses in continuing education programs at the University of Washington and the University of Alaska. 

Awards and Publications

While working as a journalist for "The Seattle Times," Larry's work was awarded the Edward J. Meeman Award for Environmental Reporting by Scripps Howard, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

ThoughtCo and Dotdash

ThoughtCo is a premier reference site focusing on expert-created education content. We are one of the top-10 information sites in the world as rated by comScore, a leading Internet measurement company. Every month, more than 13 million readers seek answers to their questions on ThoughtCo.

For more than 20 years, Dotdash brands have been helping people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired. We are one of the top-20 largest content publishers on the Internet according to comScore, and reach more than 30% of the U.S. population monthly. Our brands collectively have won more than 20 industry awards in the last year alone, and recently Dotdash was named Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-air-pollution-1204103

CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING - Carbon monoxide is produced through the burning of wood, gas, charcoal or other fuel. This gas is odorless, tasteless and colorless, making it invisible to the naked eye and hard to detect without specialized equipment. Carbon monoxide poisoning is no joke and it is imperative to seek urgent medical attention and acquire treatment.

Carbon Monoxide 

Poisoning

Great Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Treatments

Carbon monoxide is produced through the burning of wood, gas, charcoal or other fuel.

This gas is odorless, tasteless and colorless, making it invisible to the naked eye and hard to detect without specialized equipment.

Over exposure to carbon monoxide can cause it to replace the oxygen in your blood, leading to numerous health problems and even death.

Nowadays our chance of excessive carbon monoxide exposure is much higher than before. If this has happened to you, then carbon monoxide poisoning treatments are really helpful.

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

There are numerous signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, which include but are not limited to:

·      Confusion

·      Weakness

·      Dizziness

·      Dull headaches

·      Nausea

·      Blurred vision

·      Shortness of breath

·      Loss of consciousness

The extent of damage done to a person who has been exposed to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide is dependent on the length and degree of exposure.

Extended periods of exposure can lead to:

·      Brain damage (often permanent)

·      The possibility of developing a life threatening cardiac complication

·      Death

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Treatments You Should Know

As you may be becoming aware of, carbon monoxide poisoning is no joke and it is imperative to seek urgent medical attention and acquire treatment.

Below is a list of effective treatments for carbon monoxide poisoning.

1. Initial Treatment

The first thing you should do after a dangerous exposure to carbon monoxide is to get to clean, fresh air immediately and call the emergency services if any of the symptoms mentioned above begin to develop.

If a victim is struggling to breathe properly, then perform CPR immediately.

If no one else is around, first do CPR for about a minute and then call an ambulance; if someone else is around, have them call an ambulance whilst you perform CPR.

Continue to perform CPR until emergency help arrives, or until you begin to breathe normal once again.

2. Standard Oxygen Therapy

A pure oxygen mask will most likely be given to you by the emergency services. This can help deliver pure oxygen to your lungs.

If proper breathing is the problem, a ventilator may help you breathe and get the needed oxygen.

3. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

This carbon monoxide poisoning treatment is recommended in many cases, and involves sitting in a chamber of pure oxygen, which has an air pressure 2-3 times higher than normal.

This process helps to speed up the process of replacing carbon monoxide with oxygen in your blood.

How Long Does It Take for You to Recover?

The amount of time taken to recovery from carbon monoxide poisoning depends on the extent of your exposure and the methods of carbon monoxide treatment employed.

Carbon monoxide leaves the body in the same way it gets in. Through breathing fresh air, it may make about 4-6 hours to remove half of the inhaled carbon monoxide.

This time can be decreased by using some of the methods mentioned above, such as inhaling pure oxygen.

How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisoning can be dangerous as the gas is hard to detect.

Follow the steps to lower your risk and the above mentioned carbon monoxide poisoning treatments may be never needed.

·      To prevent you or your family from becoming affected, the installation of carbon monoxide detectors is advised.

·      Enduring to avoid burning anything indoors will also help prevent the dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide.

·      Ensure that all fuel-burning appliances have been installed correctly, and consistently check the vents for any potential blockages.

·      It is also advisable to have your home inspected to ensure it is safe.

·      Motor vehicles pose a potential risk as they produce a fair amount of carbon monoxide which is expelled from the exhaust. 

   Ensure to never have your car running in enclosed areas, such as garages. 

   If your car is stationary with a running engine, ensure to have windows slightly open to promote the flow of air.

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