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Effects of Air Pollution. Chapter 19 Section 2. Health Effects from Air Pollution. Air pollution can have health effects depending on the age of a person, the concentration of the pollutants, and the exposure time. Effects of Pollutants.
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Effects of Air Pollution Chapter 19 Section 2
Health Effects from Air Pollution • Air pollution can have health effects depending on the age of a person, the concentration of the pollutants, and the exposure time
Effectsof Pollutants • Short term – stinging, watery eyes, scratchy sore throat, cough, pneumonia, & headache • Long term - brain damage, liver disease, kidney disease, lung cancer, & heart disease • Carbon dioxide – affects the blood’s ability to carry oxygen; very high levels can be fatal
Effects of Pollutants…continued • Small particulate pollutants can damage lungs, and toxic substances can harm many body systems • Humid acid rain can be inhaled & irritate sensitive lung tissue; over time the heart can be stressed & weak • UV radiation – can cause skin cancer & cataracts, a form of eye damage that makes the lens of the eye cloudy
Air pollution harms plants & animals • Biomagnification – process in which pollutant levels increase through the food chain • Acid rain in lakes and streams can kill fish and damage plants • Acid rain moving through soils can strip away nutrients needed by vegetation
Air pollution harms plants & animals…continued • Smog irritates animal respiratory systems and weakens plants • As the ozone layer thins, increased UV radiation harms organisms such as phytoplankton & affects agricultural crops such as rice, the main food source for more than half the world’s population