Air pollution: causes serious damage to health

Environmental pollution threatens more than ever our health. The contamination of the air we breathe every day, constantly increasing.

It is estimated that air pollution is the cause 24,000 premature deaths of thousands in the UK each year. Also for every 10 deaths due to lung cancer, one due to ambient air pollution.

Air pollution due to exhaust from cars, according to 2000 figures, is responsible for 6% of all deaths annually in France, Austria and Switzerland. Toxic substances released by motor vehicles are responsible for at least 500.000 asthma attacks and more than 25,000 new cases of chronic bronchitis annually in those countries.

There are serious concerns that the threat to human health from air pollution in cities is greater than the risk of smoking.

The main toxic substances that pollute the air and threaten human life include carbon monoxide, lead, benzene, nitrogen dioxide and small particles that can penetrate the lungs.
Unfortunately more and more evidence comes to light showing the damage caused to our health from toxic substances that pollute the air in the atmosphere.

Indeed it seems that the negative effects of polluted air is very serious not only in adults and children. Even worse, the impact of toxic substances causing serious diseases affecting children before it is born, that the damage caused by the embryonic stage.

Pregnant women who breathe during pregnancy, two of the most common harmful substances that contaminate the ambient air are more likely to give birth to children who have severe cardiac anatomical abnormalities.
In this momentous conclusion comes from an epidemiological survey made doctors and scientists from the University of California at Los Angeles. This is the first time that a well designed and serious study documents the fact that toxic substances in environmental air cause birth defects in children.

The toxic substances were studied as ozone and carbon dioxide.

These substances, when increased in the atmosphere affect the pregnant woman and cause the greatest harm to the fetus especially during the second trimester of pregnancy.

The second trimester of pregnancy is crucial to the formation of the heart. The higher the concentration of these substances in the air resulting in increased exposure of pregnant women were both found to be higher risk for cardiac abnormalities in children.

Researchers believe after the above findings, that there should be different kinds of toxic elements in polluted environmental air, which cause damage to fetuses.

Carbon monoxide is a product of combustion and is emitted into the atmosphere mainly from cars or from different plants. It is colorless and odorless and can be understood by humans.

The ozone level is in the air we breathe is produced by photochemical reactions after various other toxic substances with ultraviolet rays.

The researchers believe that not only ozone and carbon monoxide are responsible. The increased concentration of both gases simultaneously accompanied by increased concentrations of other toxic substances can have unhealthy effects at the institutions of the developing embryo.

The forms of heart disease observed are severe anatomical abnormalities, on the inner walls of the heart valves, the pulmonary arteries and aorta.

Most children with this type of defects, should undergo open heart surgery early in life.

What is quite worrying is that the pregnant woman has no way to control or avoid the toxic substances contained in the air we breathe.

While other morbid factors (smoking, alcohol, drugs), take measures and to avoid, in the case of polluted air can not easily do.

We would stress that although this research, could qualify for criticism for various reasons, it is an alarm bell that calls us to be very careful about the pollution of the atmosphere.

Certainly the research we present today, not enlighten us on the other morbid factors accompanying carbon monoxide and ozone in the atmosphere and are likely to be the main cause of defects. Even research has limitations because not analyzed other risk factors that can affect the organogenesis in embryos.
But the correlation found, consistent with other studies which showed that toxic substances found in the air we breathe, causing premature births and low birth weight children. Also cause abnormalities in the lungs in older children.

Conclusion will highlight the risks that may have contaminated the air for pregnant women and especially for the developing fetus.

We need vigilance and control of air pollution due to the serious consequences that may be in the general population, particularly in fetuses and children.