How does the general public begin to realise the adverse effects of pollutants on the air we breathe?

Hey people, the picture above looks scary right? I don't mean the aliens, i mean the air pollution! Smog hanging over cities is the most familiar and obvious form of air pollution. But there are different kinds of pollution—some visible, some invisible—that contribute to global warming. Generally any substance that people introduce into the atmosphere that has damaging effects on living things and the environment is considered air pollution. people realise the adverse effects of of pollutants on the air we breathe through :

Education

The only way for people to begin to realise the adverse effects of air pollutants is through educating them.By educating them, it would highlightthe seriousness of air pollution. Although most people are familiar with air pollution and how it occurs, and are generally aware of its effects, many would rather turn their heads the other way rather than deal with this ever growing problem. Only when people understand the seriousness of an object they will then take action to prevent it or potect it from further damages.The only way to truly overcome this problem is to start with the young: if we, collectively, can get our descendants to permanently change their ways by learning from our mistakes, then perhaps there is still hope for our planet – and ourselves.

Health

People would distinctly realise the effects

of air pollution through the detioration of

their health.Different groups of individuals

 are affected by air pollution in different ways.

 Some individuals are much more sensitive

 to pollutants than  others.Young children and

elderly people often suffer more from the

 effects of air pollution. People with health

problems  may also suffer more when the

air is polluted.

Short term effects

• irritation to the eyes, nose and throat                  
• respiratory infections  bronchitis and pneumonia
• headaches
• nausea
• allergic reactions

                                                                    

Long-term health effects 

• chronic respiratory disease
• lung cancer, heart disease
• damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys.
• Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children 
•  aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly.

http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/Frames/pollution-health-effects-f.html

Living Environment
Very often air pollution works hand in hand with the environment we live in. Therefore, by observing our environment, we can realise traces of air pollution that has left its mark on us.

Acid Rain
Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These substances can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants.

  

Acid rain has adverse effects on :

• Forests & other vegetation
• Freshwater lakes & streams destroying aquatic life
• Soil
• Buildings & materials

http://www.tropical-rainforest-animals.com/air-pollution-effects.html

http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatcauses.html

Global warming

Air pollution is responsible for global warming. This phenomena leads to the gradual but persistent increase of the temperature of our planet. It has already started affecting entire ecosystems, and unless it is stopped, it will melt the polar ice caps which will raise sea levels which causes flooding in coastal cities .

http://www.greenplanetandme.com/2009/05/29/air-pollution-and-the-environment/

News, Internet

We can also detect the effects of pollutants in the air we breathe through watching and reading weather reports that appear on tv and newspaper. Now as techonolgy is so advanced going onto internet to check the air quality index is easy peasy. Singapore uses the Pollutant Standards Index to report on its air quality.

0-50  Good

51-100  Moderate

101-200  Unhealthy

201-300  Very Unhealthy

301-400  Hazardous

Above 400  Hazardous

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Quality_Index#Singapore

In conclusion, the general public gave to be observant and take precautionary measures towards air pollution. It may seem small at first but can cost extensive damages to the surronding around us and our healths.

We know that that air pollution is affecting everyone in Singapore and I believe that the whole community have a part to play in improving the air condition of Singapore. The government and the public must work together to ensure minimum air pollution in Singapore

Like what my group member Hung ying said : Use public transportation, bike, or walk whenever possible, and using less plastic bags so that lesser plastics will be burn each day.

Here are some more of the things the public can help out in making a better environment

-Don't leave your electronic devices(TV sets, computers, DVD's) on stand-by mode. Switch them off completely and you will save about 10 % of your electricity bill. Buy energy-saving light bulbs and "A"-labelled household appliances. Less electricity consumed means less power produced and fewer pollutants into the air from burning of fossil fuels.

-As there are thousands of family who clean their house daily, use environmentally safe cleaning products whenever possible. All people should be informed about the harmful effects of air pollution, but the education of women in particular could play an effective role in combating air pollution because women often determine the buying patterns of a household. In order to change these buying patterns, information should be distributed on products that cause air pollution, as well as information on other environmentally harmful products.


Governments and international organizations are doing a lot to address to the problem of the deteriorating air condition. Governments, however, can not solve the problem on their own. While much needs to be and is being accomplished at a policy level, real action must take place at the community level if the problem is to be stopped.

Here are some of the things community centre or the publics can try and do

-Increase public awareness. To combat air pollution and achieve sustainable development in general, it is crucial to change, and to influence others to change existing values and behaviour. Organizations can play an important role in distributing information regarding the characteristics of certain products, such as the effects of CFC emissions and a list of CFC-containing products and their specific effects. One effective way to increase public awareness is by organizing seminars addressed to a defined target group and focused on a specific set of issues. Such seminars could be done in connection with other public events and making it free for public to attend.

-Use more local products. Limit the numbers of ships and aeroplane importing goods to come into Singapore as petrol needed for aeroplanes and ships contribute to a significant amount of air pollution. not only does using local products we don't have to waste petrol but it increases our economy as well.

In conclusion,saving the enviornment is not only the job of the government,but the job of everyone.

OngJingLing.

Reference from : http://www.wikipedia.com/ & http://www.savetheworld.org/

HOW YOU CAN HELP TO PREVENT AIR POLLUTION

Hung Ying:

I can help to prevent air pollution by taking public transport instead of taking cars. Taking public transport is cheap and it does help to reduce the amount of waste gas and smoke produced. If travelling using cars, that would be more expensive and also it carries less people and use more petrol and also, it produces more waste gases.

The other way to help to prevent air pollution is to use less plastic bags or recycle the materials. If we can bring our own bags when go shopping, and then we will use less plastic bags. No demand means no need to produce, so if everyone uses their own bags instead of using plastic bags, then plastic bags will not be in huge demand. And therefore when burning the plastic bags, the amount of smoke and gases will decrease, hence prevent the air pollution. Recycle the used materials can also help to save the earth as well as prevent air pollution. Less rubbish so when they are burning the rubbish, less smoke and gases will be produce, therefore can help to prevent air pollution.

(can post below..:D)

CAUSES OF AIR POLLUTION IN SINGAPORE

Singapore, a small city state experiencing rapid industrial growth, found itself faced with the new problem of urban traffic congestion in the seventies. A large population with a strong preference for automobiles, coupled with a concentration of most of the economic industries into the small land area of the central business district led to severe traffic conditions including congestion, reduced traffic speeds, and environmental problems. These problems clearly had to be dealt with.

( http://www.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/air-sing.html)

Apart from local sources of pollutants, Singapore has had in more recent times to deal with the transboundary haze pollution from Indonesia.

The sources of air pollution can be grouped into three categories as follows:

• stationary sources such as power stations, oil refineries and industries;
• mobile sources such as motor vehicles; and
• others such as open burning of waste materials and transboundary air pollution.

(http://app2.nea.gov.sg/psi_faqairquality.aspx 

ea.gov.sg/psi_faqairquality.aspx)

Industrial:

Earlier this year, a plume of black smoke rising from a refinery on the southern island of Bukom alarmed West Coast residents, who feared it could be noxious.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) gave the assurance that, although unusual, the smoke had not affected air quality on the mainland; however, complaints of polluted ai

r from Johor refineries and odours of burnt cocoa from factories elsewhere pop up regularly in Internet forums like Stomp and punggol.org.

The NEA, concerned that the bad air problem will only intensify as industrial hubs like Jurong Island develop, is calling for expert help. It hopes to keep in check the particles more than 10 times smaller than the width of a human hair, and the levels of sulphur dioxide, which contributes to corrosive acid rain.

Ships with black smoke:

Long before man invented the car, bus or train, ships were the preferred mode of transport for adventurers seeking newer pastures.

But for years, the industry has harboured a dirty secret - that of hulking ships steaming through the ocean, coughing out plumes of black smoke.

But as one of the world’s major ports, with some 140,000 vessels calling here every year, air pollution caused by ships has so far fallen outside Singapore’s radar.

Ships carry 90 per cent of the goods traded by countries around the world, and with some estimates putting their contribution to global carbon emissions at 4 per cent - double the amount from the aviation sector - it has become a matter of concern for governments around the world and green groups.

Unlike airplanes or cars, ships largely operate on cheaper residual oil, which has a sulphur content thousands of times greater than the diesel fuel used by taxis here.

Sulphur and nitrogen oxide fumes are tied to smog and acid rain, and can have a significant impact on the health of communities, especially those living near the coastline.

Vehicles:

New-car quotas may be slashed from next year, but there are still nearly a million vehicles here. With industries, they make up the bulk of air pollution in Singapore.

In fact, vehicle exhaust fumes could be the chief contributor to pollution in the air here, given that oil refineries primarily operate offshore, said Changi General Hospital’s Dr Augustine Tee, a consultant at its Respiratory Department.

Haze:

Of all the outdoor air pollution that Singaporeans are subjected to every year, the haze probably wreaks more health havoc than any other.

At least four respiratory specialists in private practice and the Changi General Hospital said they have seen a 20 per cent jump in the number of patients with asthma and chronic lung illnesses in October, a trend which generally mirrors those seen in previous haze seasons here in the last decade.

The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI), the indicator used here to measure air quality, crept into the unhealthy range - PSI 108 - for the first time in four years in October this year.

Singapore has not managed to go a year without the haze in the last decade. In most years, it has been in the moderate range.

The haze - fumes blown this way from forest fires burning in Sumatra - contains minute ash particles known to trigger underlying health conditions.

During the last bad haze episode in 2006, Singapore had several days of air in the unhealthy range, with the PSI peaking at 130.

The worst recorded haze here was in 1997, when the air quality hit an all-time high of 226.

(http://www.eco-business.com/news/2010/dec/30/singapore-fine-particles-growing-concern-though-ai/)

 

Lee Hung Ying