EESA10H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Lung Cancer, Symptom, Mesothelioma
17 May 2018
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EESA10 – Lecture 2: Airborne Hazards & Human Health
CASE STUDIES: events that contributed to air pollution awareness
1. London Smog (1952)
Industrial revolution + extensive use of coal
a. Burning of coal (soft coal – dangerous to burn b/c sulfur oxides) became main energy
source.
i. No dramatic change, the rooted in change on human health
ii. Smoke + sulfur dioxide lvls for 12 London sites and relation w/deaths (LINKED)
b. WINTER TIME – cold (weather) air is heavy + stagnant, resulted in the burning of coal in
homes and was no diluting b/c of stagnant air. Many people died (4k w/in 2 weeks); #
of deaths b/w sulfur dioxide pollution lvls.
c. How did it stop?
- Temp. risen, wind started to blow and diluted chemicals which stopped
- Took decades to fix the air
- EVENT as an awakening in Britain – investing in moving energy source from coal to
natural gas+filters.
- Inspired other countries to become more awareness and draft up air acts.
d. IMPROVEMENT; but not completely solved.
2. Indonesian Fires (1997)
Regular burning of forests every year “Slash and Burn”; burn/clear land for agriculture and then
plow areas to make them fertile.
a. Fires are istinguised by monsoons and rains (natural)
b. THIS YEAR 1997 – monsoon didn’t come as expected and kept burning to size of USA.
Biomass burned, release of many gasses and pollutants.
c. Happened again in 1998; not as dramatic.
AIRBORNE HAZARDS:
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
o Contains 2-5 times higher concentration of hazardous pollutants than outdoor air.
o Buldings more airtight to conserve energy, inadequate ventilation; ppl spend 90% time
indoors. Children, pregnant women, elderly, and ppl w/chronic illnesses are more
sensitive.
o Sources of Pollutants:
Building materials + furnishing – furniture made of certain pressed wood
products
“Sick building syndrome” – nonspecific symptoms experienced by
occupants of a building (mainly caused by inadequate venting 53%)
“Sick building” designation – building whose occupants experience such
symptoms
Building related illness – specific diagnosable illness, linked to
spec.feature of building.
Asbestos insulation
Wet/damp carpets
Cleaning products + air freshners
Personal care and hobbies –
Pesticides, cooking, bathing, heating (combustion of oil,coal,wood),
Radon, Smoking, Outdoor pollution.
o HEALTH EFFECTS:
Heard to detect by our senses
Symptoms are similar, need years to develop
Headaches, tiredness, dizziness, nausea, itchy nose, scratchy throat
Asthma
Cancer
MOST COMMON INDOOR POLLUTANTS:
1. Asbestos- Group of 6 diff. natural fibrous minerals; have separable, long strong and flexible
heating resistant fibers.
a. Behaviour in Environment:
i. Don’t evaporate into air/dissolve in water (DOESN’T BREAK DOWN)
ii. Fibers/particles may remain suspended in air and carried long distances
iii. Not able to move thru soil
b. Used in:
i. Building materials (roofing, shingles, ceilings, floor tiles, paper products, and
asbestos cement products)
ii. Friction products (automobile brakes and transmission parts)
iii. Heat resistant fabrics, packaging and coatings
c. EXPOSURE:
i. Industrialized countries, nearly everyone has asbestos fibers in their lungs (some
risk of cancer)
ii. People working in some industries (construction), living near, during demolition
work + remodeling
iii. From drinking water (natural sources/asbestos containing cement pipes)
d. HEALTH EFFECTS– affect lungs and membrane that surrounds the lungs (not rel.to birth
defects)
i. Asbestosis – scar-like tissue, not in general public
- Difficulty breathing, coughing, heart enlargement, lead to disability and
death
ii. Plaques in the pleural membranes
iii. Lung cancer, mesothelioma
iv. Increase risk of getting other types of cancer )stomach, esophagus, pancreas,
kidney)
v. Risk increases w/smoking
vi. Low lvls can be measured in urine, feces, and mucus
2. Formaldehyde – VOC; natural occurring gases, colourless, strong smell.
Becomes a gas @ normal room temp. Also released by burning wood + natural gass, by
automobile and by cigs.
Document Summary
Eesa10 lecture 2: airborne hazards & human health. Case studies: events that contributed to air pollution awareness: london smog (1952) Temp. risen, wind started to blow and diluted chemicals which stopped. Event as an awakening in britain investing in moving energy source from coal to natural gas+filters. Inspired other countries to become more awareness and draft up air acts. Biomass burned, release of many gasses and pollutants: happened again in 1998; not as dramatic. Indoor air pollution: contains 2-5 times higher concentration of hazardous pollutants than outdoor air, buldings more airtight to conserve energy, inadequate ventilation; ppl spend 90% time indoors. Children, pregnant women, elderly, and ppl w/chronic illnesses are more sensitive: sources of pollutants: Building related illness specific diagnosable illness, linked to spec. feature of building. Pesticides, cooking, bathing, heating (combustion of oil,coal,wood), Symptoms are similar, need years to develop. Headaches, tiredness, dizziness, nausea, itchy nose, scratchy throat.
