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Environmental Health. Air Quality Index (AQI). AQI: developed by the EPA is an index for reporting daily air quality Range From: 0-500 Air Quality: good to hazardous Color Code: green to maroon. To Reduce Air Pollution… . Reduce car use : walk, bike, take public transportation or carpool.
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Air Quality Index (AQI) • AQI: developed by the EPA is an index for reporting daily air quality • Range From: 0-500 • Air Quality: good to hazardous • Color Code: green to maroon
To Reduce Air Pollution… • Reduce car use: walk, bike, take public transportation or carpool. • Conserve Energy: turn off lights when not in use, set the air conditioner at a higher temperature and put on extra layers instead of turning up the heat
Indoor Air Pollution • SBS- (sick building pollution): refers to a situation where occupants of a building experience health problems • Symptoms: headache, itchy & irritated eyes, throat & nose; dizziness & nausea; fatigue, inability to concentrate & sensitivity to odors. • Lead Exposure- especially in children can cause damage to the kidneys, liver, brain & nerves. • Asbestos- linked to lung cancer
Protecting Land & Water Recycle materials whenever possible to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfills. • Dispose of all materials properly- oil paints, paint solvents & batteries should not be put in the trash. a. Don’t pour household chemicals or motor oil down the drain or onto the ground, take these to collection sites. • Follow directions when using chemicals such as cleaning products, fertilizers & pesticides—don’t overuse them. • Reduce water usage– repair leaky faucets and follow recommendations for landscape watering.
MEDICINE DISPOSAL • 1. Do not dispose by flushing down the toilet as this can get into the groundwater. • 2. For pills, transfer from the bottle to a covered container or zip-top bag. Mix with old coffee grounds or cayenne pepper to discourage people or animals. • 3. Transfer liquids into some cat litter, sand or sawdust to solidify & seal carefully. • 4. When tossing empty bottles black out personal info.
BOZEMAN’S SOLID WASTE DIVISION • Bozeman.net/waste/solid-waste.aspx • Gallatin Local Water Quality District • Click on “Education:Brochures & Fact Sheets” gallatin.mt.gov/Public_Documents/gallatincomt_wqd-pages/lwqd
Noise Pollution • The harmful & unwanted sound of sufficient intensity to damage hearing. • Hearing impairment rarely leads to total deafness, however the hearing loss is permanent. • Decibel: unit used to express the relative intensity of loudness of sound. Normal conversation is 65 decibels • Exposure to noise levels of 85 decibels and above can result in temporary hearing loss often accompanied by ringing in the ears
NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS • Attending noisy concerts & clubs • Using firearms, loud tools & recreational vehicles (snowmobiles & some motorcycles) TRICKY PART IS THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW OF DAMAGE EARLY ON - IT TAKES MULTIPLE EXPOSURES & SOMETIMES YEARS TO FIND OUT - 10-20 yrs.
Adolescent Hearing Loss New study released Summer 10’ 1 in 5 adolescents have hearing loss Why? Rise in use of iPods – ear buds Full volume = 105 decibels Only use full volume 1 or 2 songs or else risk hearing loss
SIGN OF HEARING LOSS • Leaving a loud venue with ringing ears - after resting ears they might recover partially but with repeated exposure comes more damage to the hair cells in the inner ear -the key to good hearing.
WHAT’S TOO LOUD? • Prolonged exposure to sounds above 85 dB • 30dB a whisper • 50 dB sound of heavy rainfall • 60 dB normal conversation • 70 dB rush-hour traffic • 90dB subway train; lawn mower • 100 dB power saw; drill • 115 dB sandblasting; loud rock concert • 130 dB race car noise
What’s Too Loud - continued • 140 dB jet engine • 150 dB fireworks • 170 dB shotgun blast iPods - damage to the inside of ears 15 minutes @ 85 dB’s