World Environment Day: Environmental Pollution Can Increase These Health Risks

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The foam-spewing lakes of Bengaluru, the smoggy Delhi city with zero visibility and the disastrous oil spill of the Chennai shores - environmental pollution is staring at us point blank today.

It has turned into one of the gravest problems humankind is battling now. Environment pollution occurs when the damage is done at a pace at which earth cannot make enough repairs. The condition becomes fearsome because of the number of people who are exposed to it.

Environmental pollution is classified into air, water, soil, noise and light. Air pollution is the most harmful of them all with its impact evident in the increasing number of health issues like asthma, breathing trouble and cancer. The air we breathe has become a deadly cocktail of harmful particles like smoke, dust, mercury, chloro fluro carbons, tobacco smoke, sulphur, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, to name a few.

Water pollution is mainly caused when the industrial and domestic waste is released into water bodies. Acid rains make it worse. Soil contamination results from the overuse of fertilizers, acid rains, underground spills, polluted water and non biodegradable wastes.

Noise pollution is when the noise levels go over the permitted levels. Light pollution includes over illumination and astronomical interferences.

All of these cause severe health hazards, some of which are explained here briefly.

Asthma:

A gas called ozone, one of the major components of smog, can be extremely irritating to the lungs and airways. The airborne particles, smoke and dust can easily trigger asthma.

Cancer:

Many components of outdoor air pollution are carcinogens, say diesel engine exhaust, solvents, metal, increasing the risk of lung cancer and bladder cancer. Exposure to UV rays, thanks to the depleting ozone layer, can result in skin cancer. Not to forget the very many types of cancer that polluted water and food can trigger.

Bronchitis:

Some air pollutants can irritate lungs and airways and increase the risk of acute bronchitis. They include tobacco smoke, dust, fumes and vapours. Repeated exposure to fumes can damage tissues resulting in chronic bronchitis.

Skin Allergies:

Prolonged exposure of the skin to air pollutants is feared to cause skin ageing and allergies. Skin conditions like atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and acne are more likely in people who are exposed to pollution.

Cold And Cough:

Air pollution fuels viral infections. It makes it even more difficult for people who already have cold, as lungs produce more mucus to get them out. Pollutants can switch on sensory nerves to trigger a cough.