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Industrial air pollution 'reduces life expectancy'

PEOPLE in rural areas are likely to live longer because of cleaner air, according to a report published yesterday. Health experts said that long-term exposure to raised levels of tiny airborne pollution particles shortened life expectancy.

The findings come from a report by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) which reviewed scientific evidence indicating that people exposed to particulates - from traffic fumes and industry - over a long time are at more risk of premature death, particularly from heart disease.

The report also looked at what would happen if current levels of fine particles were reduced by five per cent for the rest of the lifetime of the population alive today. The gain in life expectancy was around 1.5 to 3.5 days across the whole population and up to a couple of months in some areas.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

Answers

ET

Experts prove link between pollution and damage to lungs

By Robert Uhlig, Technology Correspondent

URBAN smog damages the lungs of children and could cause asthma, says the first study to confirm a widely suspected, but never proven link between pollution and breathing problems.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that breathing ozone, a key component of urban smog, for five months increased sensitivity to dust mites, a component of household dust that is a common trigger of asthma attacks.

Charles Plopper, the leader of the research team, said rhesus monkeys that had been breathing ozone for five months developed symptoms similar to those of a child with borderline asthma. Their lung capacity was reduced and they wheezed when briefly exposed to the dust mite allergen, said Prof Plopper.

Monkeys that had continually breathed ozone and the allergen had even more severe reactions, similar to full-blown asthma attacks, with rapid, shallow breathing and decreased oxygen levels in their blood.

Ira Tager, of the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, said that because lung development was similar in monkeys and humans, the research might help to explain why children who grew up in smoggy cities tended to have more respiratory problems. He said: "It fits well with what's known in humans about developmental effects."

Ozone exposure is especially damaging early in life, when the lungs are still developing. Prof Plopper's team previously found that ozone did not cause the same degree of lung damage in adult monkeys. The Davis team carried out a series of experiments with young rhesus monkeys, featured in New Scientist today.

One group of monkeys had ozone added to their air supply. A second group breathed air containing the dust mite allergen. A third group breathed air containing the allergen and ozone, and a fourth breathed clean air. The amount of ozone in the contaminated air was varied to mimic conditions in the real world, said Prof Plopper.

The monkeys in the first and third group were exposed to ozone for five days, followed by nine ozone-free days, a cycle based loosely on Environmental Protection Agency records of ozone levels in Los Angeles. The concentration of ozone was half a part per million.

Prof Plopper said: "That is high for California, but about average for Mexico City." Both groups of monkeys that had breathed ozone had lung abnormalities typical of people with asthma. The smooth muscle that controls the flow of air through the lungs was hyperactive, constricting the airways.

The lungs of these monkeys also made more mucus than usual, clogging the airways, and the monkeys had unusually low levels of glutathione, a chemical that protects the lungs from free radicals. Prof Plopper said: "That puts them at risk for other types of lung injury."

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

bummer!

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2001

This is why I think the demands to loosen air pollution regulations to build more power plants or operate existing plants at higher rates is such an unacceptable idea. I just can't buy that trade-off.

I saw a blurb a few days ago that 140,000,000 Americans (IOW, a majority of the population) is subject to excessive ozone pollution.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2001

I was told that Florida [one of the power companies, I think FPL] was intending to build another nuclear plant, I think in Broward county. The residents are of course totally against it, but if it isn't built quick, somwhere, there will be a shortage of power in Florida right soon, and may be worse than California has it.

I have no articles to use to back up this story, just what I was told was seen on the news.

Most people feel that we could utilize the area in the Everglades for solar panels to help offset the power drain of continuing expansion.

I think we should utilize the areas that are already built up, such as making covers for roadways which will generate air circulation, shade for rush hour traffic, and large areas for panels. then there are all the rooftops, and the sides of tall buildings that could have panels installed. Lot's of wasted space that could be utilized for energy absorption to turn into electricity. sure wish TPTB would get with it....

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2001

I saw a schematic recently of kitty solar tummy packs. You strap them on in the morning. The kitties lie on their backs on the sunny floor spaces during the day. You remove the recharged packs in the evening to run your appliances.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2001

LOL Brooks! How many have you ordered?

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2001

If you spray their backs with Endust, you can clean the floor at the same time. Sweetie thinks we should spray the cats, then throw a ball under the dresser, thereby solving the dust bunny problem.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2001