We know how to take care of our body by exercising and eating well. However, we tend to forget that several environmental issues can affect our health negatively. Air pollution, radiation, sound, water and soil pollution, asbestos and unpleasant odours are a few examples.
The degree of exposure is an important factor in determining health risks. If you live in the direct vicinity of the refinery, you’re at higher risk of health problems caused by fine dust then someone living in the suburbs.
High-risk groups
Not all of us are equally susceptible to environmental effects. Elderly people run a higher risk of contracting a disease caused by environmental issues. This is also the case for those suffering from chronic bronchial and cardiovascular diseases or those with allergic disorders. These diseases could have graver consequences for children and pregnant women.
Health effects
Every year thirteen million people die as a consequence of environmentally unfriendly surroundings. Poor countries are more heavily affected by pollution than wealthy countries, but wealthy countries struggle with environmental problems too. One-sixth of all cases of illness in wealthy countries could be prevented.
The unhealthiest places to live are Angola, Burkina Faso, Mali and Afghanistan. This is mainly because of the lack of clean potable water.
However, researchers didn’t only take pollution into account, but also paid attention to working conditions, ultraviolet radiation, noise pollution, agricultural techniques, climate, changes in the ecosystem, degrees of urbanization and human behaviour.
On average, people in wealthy countries die a few days sooner because of environmental pollution. But knowing this is not of much use to you as an individual; one person may suffer from this and die many years too soon, while another person bears all the risks and comes through unharmed.
Chronic exposure to fine dust in particular, makes people sick. If you want to decrease the impact of the environment on your health, you should decrease the exposure to and the discharge of fine dust. You can do this by properly ventilating your home.
Illnesses like asthma, cardiovascular diseases and certain forms of cancer seem to be related to environmental factors. It’s generally difficult to determine whether someone becomes sick or dies as a result of a polluted environment as our health is also influenced by things like nutrition, exercise, smoking and the use of alcohol.
Asthma
As a consequence of air pollution and other factors, the amount of asthmatics world-wide increases by 50% every ten years. Other causes of asthma attacks are tobacco smoke, house dust mite, mould and pets. Certain medications and food additives are also known to cause asthma. In the workplace, exposure to wood dust, isocyanate, metal dust and pesticides are known to trigger asthma attacks as well.
Cardiovascular diseases
As you get older, the risk of cardiovascular diseases increases. Other risk factors are smoking, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, cholesterol, obesity and heredity. Environmental factors like air pollution can aggravate already existent cardiovascular diseases.
Cancer
It is certain that certain forms of environmental pollution are a risk factor for the development of lung and skin cancer. Although this hasn’t been proved for other forms of cancer, there is a possibility that environmental pollution plays a role in the development of other forms of cancer as well. This is the case with breast cancer. One of the most obvious / noticeable risk factors for the development of breast cancer is hormonal regulation (oestrogen in particular). Exposure to hormone-disturbing substances could play a role in this. However, this hasn’t been conclusively established.
Source: http://www.milieucentraal.nl
The degree of exposure is an important factor in determining health risks. If you live in the direct vicinity of the refinery, you’re at higher risk of health problems caused by fine dust then someone living in the suburbs.
High-risk groups
Not all of us are equally susceptible to environmental effects. Elderly people run a higher risk of contracting a disease caused by environmental issues. This is also the case for those suffering from chronic bronchial and cardiovascular diseases or those with allergic disorders. These diseases could have graver consequences for children and pregnant women.
Health effects
Every year thirteen million people die as a consequence of environmentally unfriendly surroundings. Poor countries are more heavily affected by pollution than wealthy countries, but wealthy countries struggle with environmental problems too. One-sixth of all cases of illness in wealthy countries could be prevented.
The unhealthiest places to live are Angola, Burkina Faso, Mali and Afghanistan. This is mainly because of the lack of clean potable water.
However, researchers didn’t only take pollution into account, but also paid attention to working conditions, ultraviolet radiation, noise pollution, agricultural techniques, climate, changes in the ecosystem, degrees of urbanization and human behaviour.
On average, people in wealthy countries die a few days sooner because of environmental pollution. But knowing this is not of much use to you as an individual; one person may suffer from this and die many years too soon, while another person bears all the risks and comes through unharmed.
Chronic exposure to fine dust in particular, makes people sick. If you want to decrease the impact of the environment on your health, you should decrease the exposure to and the discharge of fine dust. You can do this by properly ventilating your home.
Illnesses like asthma, cardiovascular diseases and certain forms of cancer seem to be related to environmental factors. It’s generally difficult to determine whether someone becomes sick or dies as a result of a polluted environment as our health is also influenced by things like nutrition, exercise, smoking and the use of alcohol.
Asthma
As a consequence of air pollution and other factors, the amount of asthmatics world-wide increases by 50% every ten years. Other causes of asthma attacks are tobacco smoke, house dust mite, mould and pets. Certain medications and food additives are also known to cause asthma. In the workplace, exposure to wood dust, isocyanate, metal dust and pesticides are known to trigger asthma attacks as well.
Cardiovascular diseases
As you get older, the risk of cardiovascular diseases increases. Other risk factors are smoking, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, cholesterol, obesity and heredity. Environmental factors like air pollution can aggravate already existent cardiovascular diseases.
Cancer
It is certain that certain forms of environmental pollution are a risk factor for the development of lung and skin cancer. Although this hasn’t been proved for other forms of cancer, there is a possibility that environmental pollution plays a role in the development of other forms of cancer as well. This is the case with breast cancer. One of the most obvious / noticeable risk factors for the development of breast cancer is hormonal regulation (oestrogen in particular). Exposure to hormone-disturbing substances could play a role in this. However, this hasn’t been conclusively established.
Source: http://www.milieucentraal.nl