Danger In The Air!
Teacher Background
Air Pollution and Heath


This module contains numerous activities for students to investigate the factors of air pollution that negatively impacts a person's health. Students will examine information provided by various agencies and at various sites. They will conduct simple experiments and conclude this part of the module by making suggestions for improving air quality.

Activities directly related to health issues are:

Air pollution affects human health in a number of ways. Air pollution increases the frequency and severity of lung diseases. In severe air pollution situations, thousands of people have died and suffered. Some of the less serious health effects include sore and running eyes, shortness of breath, decreased lung capacity and fatigue. About 64,000 people in the US die prematurely each year from cardiopulmonary causes that are linked to particulates in the air. Commonly known as particulate air pollution, it is composed of smoke, soot, particulates from gaseous emissions from coal powered industrial plants and boilers, and from gasoline and diesel powered vehicles. It is documented by prestigious committees that air pollution is the actual cause of deaths.

The particulates/pollutants are:

The elderly and those with heart and lung problems are at the greatest risk of death from the effects of air pollution but pollutants damage and injure everyone's respiratory systems. The state of Washington has cleaner air than several years ago because of the enforcement measures and policies of State and Federal agencies, yet there were four "unhealthy days" in 1994.


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