Lesson 21 — Activity 1: The Environment and Health
Completion requirements
Lesson 21 — Activity 1: The Environment and Health
Explore
You learned previously about some of the diseases that have had a serious effect on health throughout history. You know that many epidemics were related to environmental conditions.
In this lesson, you will look further at how the environment in which you live can affect your health.
First, consider how important it is to your health to live where you have clean air to breathe. You can't live very long — maybe 3 or 4 minutes — without breathing! However, you won't live as long as you otherwise might if the air you are breathing isn't clean.
The above image shows pollution over Vancouver, British Columbia.
According to Health Canada, air pollution causes the
deaths of over 5,900 people in the cities of Vancouver, Calgary,
Windsor, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City every year!
Here are some of the health effects of air pollution:
- respiratory, or breathing, problems such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- cardiovascular, or heart, and circulation problems
- problems related to exposure to toxic substances such as mercury, lead, and aluminum in the air; this can be particularly harmful to children due to their small size and the fact that they are not fully developed
Problems with air quality do not necessarily only occur outside. Buildings that do not have adequate air circulation systems can have some serious effects on your health as well, according to Health Canada:
- coughing
- sore eyes
- headaches
- asthma attacks
- allergic reactions
- spread of infectious diseases
- carbon monoxide poisoning
Click on the + sign if you would like to look at this image more closely.
There is also a cost to our society with air pollution and health problems. People who are affected miss work or school and will have to spend time in their doctor's office or emergency room or even be admitted to the hospital.
You might think that some of these health problems sound quite dangerous and they certainly can be. Just imagine what the air quality is like in countries where there are fewer guidelines and controls on pollution than we have in Canada!
Digging Deeper
In Canada, air quality is tested and the results are provided to the general public. Health Canada has developed guidelines and standards that list the allowable levels of pollutants in the air you breathe. When the levels of pollutants get too high, people are advised to stay indoors and also to avoid heavy physical exercise. (Physical exercise increases the body’s need for oxygen, which may be difficult for people to get when there is poor air quality.)
The Air Quality Index provides a reading of air quality and gives reasons for poor quality for many communities. One reason for poor quality air might be smog, which is a mixture of air pollutants. A smog alert warns people who suffer from heart or lung problems to take protective action, such as choosing to remain inside.
