The Effects of Outdoor Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases in Relation to Public

Health

By Adonis Morin, December 12 2024, for class SNC4MEL-a

Air pollution is a pervasive environmental hazard that poses a significant threat to public
health, particularly impacting the respiratory system. Air pollution is often invisible and
yet its effects are far reaching, contributing to a global rise in respiratory disease.

The air we all breathe is increasingly polluted with a mixture of harmful substances,
such as particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These pollutants
are largely generated by industrial processes. And these processes can penetrate deep
into the lungs, enforcing many adverse health effects and diseases.

Air pollution is known globally as a factor to the development of disease and premature
death and is regarded as the largest environmental contributor to health. The air quality
is very important to health as we breathe it in constantly, so any form of pollution or
contamination would naturally be a substantial threat to the public’s health.
Contamination of air can occur by any chemical including: physical and biological
agents, that can change the atmosphere. There are many things that can contribute to
air pollution, such as: any combustible devices, vehicles, industrial facilities, and even
forest fires, all can contribute significantly to air pollution and contamination.

The consequences of air pollution extend well beyond human health, air pollution has a
significant impact on the environment, contributing to climate change, acid rain, and
damage to many ecosystems. Air pollution is also known to have economic implications,
leading to increased healthcare costs, lost productivity, and reduced agricultural yield
and harvests.

Air quality and pollution is tied well with environmental and eco systematic problems
globally, such as is with the case of forest fires. Canada is known to have some of the
cleanest air, although in more urban areas the air can get bad. Climate change can
contribute to the quality of air in many ways, some being: increased pollution, a spike of
poor air quality during extreme heat waves, and wildfire smoke along with other
environmental emissions. With climate change there will be more wildfires, and with
more fires there will be more pollution smoke. The dense smoke of wildfires is a very
dangerous type of air pollution, it can cause reaction with you body such as: stingy eyes
and a cough, but also along with very serious problems such as shortness of breath,
asthma, bronchitis, and chronic pulmonary disease, which can cause lung damage.
(Climate Atlas of Canada)
Here's what the Climate Atlas of Canada said about the damage of wildfire and climate
change: “In 2018, British Columbia saw its worst fire season in history, burning 1.3
million hectares of land. This was just two years after record-breaking fires devastated
the city of Fort McMurray in Alberta, costing $9 billion in losses. With this increase in
wildfires caused by climate change, we’re seeing more and more health impacts to
Canadians.” (Climate Atlas of Canada)

With bad air quality, it’s damage can be big with children, air quality that is below the
USA and Canada’s standards can have adverse effects with children (Laura A
Rodriguez-Villamiziar, 2015).

The number of general premature deaths regarding air pollution is15,300 deaths
associated with air pollution. The Canadian government comments on this “This
estimate of 15,300 deaths per year is equivalent to 42 per 100,000 Canadians and is
consistent with previous analyses. The higher number of exposed individuals in 2016
compared to previous years of analysis (owing to population increase) leads to an
overall higher mortality count. It is estimated that Canadians are currently exposed, on
average, to lower air pollution levels for PM2.5 and summer ozone compared to
exposure periods that informed previous analyses. In contrast, this assessment uses
overall higher concentrations for annual ozone, while NO2 exposure estimates do not
suggest any clear directional change. The normalized value per 100,000 population
provides a more objective picture of the health burden and suggests that per capita air
pollution-related health risks in Canada have remained consistent over the last decade.
While Canadians benefit from relatively good air quality, air pollution continues to have
impacts on population health.” (Government of Canada, 2021).

Addressing this public health crisis requires a huge multi-part approach. Strict
regulations on emissions, investment in cleaner technologies, and public awareness of
air pollution campaigns can all contribute to a more successful solution to this global
crisis. Internations cooperation is also very important to having cleaner air, but also
especially with air pollution that may cross over borders and into different countries.
Society will have to move away from fossil fuels and move more towards cleaner,
renewable energy sources and processes.

In conclusion, the pervasiveness of air pollution undersells the true urgency of air
pollution as a global challenge. While the consequences are very dangerous and
harmful - from respiratory diseases to economic problems and environmental
degradation - the path to cleaner and more breathable air is not impossible.
A huge multi-part approach is essential to combat air pollution, governments must
implement and enforce strict regulations on emissions from industries, vehicles, and the
many other sources. Society must invest into renewable energy sources and promoting
energy efficiency is very important to the steps in reducing our dependence on fossil
fuels and other toxic sources of energy.

References:

Laura A Rodriguez-Villamizar, published on January 1 2015, The Effects of Outdoor Air

Pollution on the Respiratory Health of Canadian Children: A Systematic Review of
Epidemiological Studies, date retrieved: December 11 2024.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1155/2015/263427

Government of Canada, 2021, published by the authority of the Ministry of Health,

Health Impacts of Air Pollution in Canada: Estimates of morbidity and premature
mortality outcomes, date retrieved: December 11 2024.
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/health-imp
acts-air-pollution-2021.html

Climate Atlas of Canada, n.d. Climate Change and Air Quality. Date retrieved:
December 12, 2024. https://climateatlas.ca/climate-change-air-quality-and-public-health

Climate Atlas of Canada, n.d. Wildfires, Water, and Our Health . Date retrieved:
December 13, 2024. https://climateatlas.ca/wildfires-water-and-our-health