Air Pollution in China

Air Pollution in China

When people think about air pollution, the things that come to their mind are smog, acid rain, and other forms of outdoor air pollution. Air Pollution is not a new topic. It is a problem that we have noticed since the industrial revolution, when trees, houses and cars were covered in soot from the factories. Every year, chemical substances present in the air within buildings affect the healths of thousands of people. The definition of air pollution is "The presence in the atmosphere of one or more contaminants as is injurious, or tends to be injurious, to human health or welfare, animal or plantlife."Ozone, a gas, is a major part of air pollution in cities. When ozone forms air pollution, it's also called smog. Air pollution are the leading cause of death in China. Acid rain falls on 30% of the country. The World Health Organization has found that about 750,000 people die prematurely each year from respiratory problems in China.

Air pollution has a huge affect on the people of China with their health, both short and long term effects. The indoor environments are caused by, tobacco smoke and combustion of solid fuels for cooking and heating are the most significant sources The outdoor environments is created by the industries, automobiles, and power generation. There are different groups that are affected by air pollution in different ways. Some people are more sensitive to the chemical substances than others. Some of these health problems involve with asthma, heart and lung disease, which the elderly and young children often get. Examples of shirt-term effects include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, and you could also get bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms are headaches, and allergic reactions. Long-tern effects include lung cancer, heart disease and even possible damage to the brain, nerves, liver and kidneys. Exposure to the pollution in the air affects the lungs of growing children.

It is more or less inevitable that China's economy will spew out a lot of pollution, given its extraordinary rate of growth for over 20 years. Air pollution now is costing China 3.8% of its GDP while water pollution is costing another 2%. The report estimated this year's combined health and non-health costs of air and water pollution at around US$100 billion. Their air is their leading cause of lung disease and a major indirect cause of work and school absenteeism.

There are multiple of ways to prevent Air pollution in China, such as moving factories away from the cities, encourage clean-burning fuel, and cut back introducing of new private cars. Here is a list of the easiest ways you could help to prevent air pollution getting worse:

-Carpool

-Walk or ride a bicycle.

-Shop by phone or mail.

-Ride public transit.

-Telecommute