Danger In The Air!
Activity #5: Air Pollution and Health Issues

Did you know that 64,000 people in the United States die premature deaths from cardiopulmonary causes that are linked to particulates in the air? "Particulate air pollution" is composed primarily of smoke, soot, particulates from gaseous emissions from coal powered industrial plants and boilers, and from gasoline and diesel powered vehicles. See Deaths--Natural Resources Defense Council then answer the following questions on a sheet of paper.

• What are the particulates/pollutants?
  
• What are their effects on the body?

What changes have helped produce cleaner air? Read Air Quality Highlights from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Due to enforcement by the federal government and the state of Washington, we have cleaner air to breath as compared to the past years. Even with tighter restrictions there were 4 days in 1994 recorded as "unhealthy." Read the EPA's New Proposed Particulate and Ozone Standards. What changes are proposed?

• What is in our air and how did it get there? (first page of this module)
• What is in Our Air? (second page of this module)
• Activity #1: Does Air Pollution Effect You?
• Activity #2: Effects of Air Pollution on Plant Growth
• Activity #3: You ask the Questions
• Activity #4: Finding and Analyzing Air Quality Data
• Activity #6: The Effect of Air Pollution on Plant Growth (Optional)
• Activity #7: The Big Bad Eight (Optional)
• Activity #8: Particulate Matter in the Atmosphere (Optional)
• Air Pollutants
• Assessment
• Teachers' Resources