Current Quality of the Air for Human Health


While air pollution can affect the view, it can also affect our health. Below is some information on the health effects of current air pollution levels:

Today's Air Quality Index (as of 5/9/2008 11:15:00 AM):

During the past few hours the air quality has been:

Good

People at risk:

None.

Recommendations:

None.

 

Description

Who's Affected

0 - 50

Good

Nobody

51 - 100

Moderate

Unusually sensitive individuals

101 - 150

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

Sensitive Groups

  • Children
  • The elderly
  • Asthmatics
  • People with lung disease
  • People with heart disease
  • Adults who are active outdoors
151 - 200

Unhealthy

General public and especially sensitive groups

 


 Most CAMNET sites measure one to three pollutants that, if present in sufficient quantities, may affect our health. Fine particles (sometimes known as soot), and ground-level ozone (sometimes known as smog) are two such pollutants. Particles are a mixture of microscopic acids, metals, petroleum byproducts, and diesel soot. Ozone is a colorless, odorless gas that is formed when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react in sunlight. Their health effects are summarized below.


Ground-Level Ozone

Health Effects
(not all of these are noticeable)

Fine
Particles

X

Coughing, irritation of the airways, discomfort in the chest or when breathing

-

X

Premature aging of the lungs

-

X

Faster or more shallow breathing

X

X

Aggravation of asthma, emphysema, and other respiratory diseases

X

X

Increased risk of respiratory infections

X

-

Premature death (primarily among the elderly and those with existing heart and lung disease)

X

 Ozone and particles affect different people in different ways. Moreover, as their concentrations increase, more and more people experience health effects and the effects become more serious. To simplify matters, the U.S. EPA has developed an Air Quality Index (AQI) which is described above, that rates the overall quality of the air and the people at greatest risk. For more information on the AQI, visit http://www.epa.gov/airnow/aqibroch.

 

 At the Boston site, CAMNET also provides real-time information on a pollutant called black carbon. In urban areas, black carbon is emitted mostly from diesel engines found in trucks, buses, generators, and construction equipment. In rural areas, it can also originate from wood stoves and fires. Black carbon is one of the many components of fine particles, but has the unique ability to absorb toxic gases and deliver them to the lungs. The scientific community is still studying the specific health effects of black carbon. However, diesel exhaust as a whole (which contains black carbon) is associated with increases in lung cancer and may lead to inflammation of the airways that can cause or worsen asthma.

 Finally, everyone should be careful to avoid too much exposure to the sun, especially children and especially during the summer. Ultraviolet rays (uv) from the sun not only cause sunburn and permanent damage to the skin, but they can lead to cataracts and suppression of the skin's immune system. To learn more about ultraviolet rays and to get realtime information and uv forecasts, visit EPA's SunWise website. http://www.epa.gov/sunwise