Pollutants include CO and CO2 by combustion of fossil fuels, use of pesticides, motor vehicle exhaust emitted
pollutants (oxides of nitrogen, sulphur, particulate, lead etc), petroleum spilled in oceans by carrier tankers,
municipal and industrial effluents and etc, in industrial and agriculture sector.
Causes of outdoor air pollution
i. Carbon monoxide (CO)
The incomplete burning of carbon-containing materials produces carbon monoxide. Major sources are motor
vehicle exhaust, burning of forests, tobacco smoke, and cooking with inefficient stoves or ovens. Carbon
monoxide is highly unstable and gets converted into carbon dioxide.
ii. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Excess of CO2 in the atmosphere comes from human activities like industrial activities, burning fossil fuels and
deforestation.
iii. Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
Sulphur dioxide gas is produced by burning of coal, coke, diesel and others.
iv. Nitrogen oxide (NO)
Nitrogen oxide forms when nitrogen and oxygen burn at high temperatures in automobile engines and coal-
burning power plants.
v. Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons are released from industries, automobiles and organic solvents.
vi. Ozone (O3)
Ozone is a gas with a molecular formula O3. It is produced when light interacts with nitrogen oxide. In the
atmosphere oxygen is reduced by ultraviolet light to nitrogen monoxide and atomic oxygen.
Effect of outdoor air pollution
i. CO is a highly toxic gas. CO reacts with hemoglobin in red blood cells and reduces the ability of blood to
transport oxygen to body cells and tissues. At high concentration CO causes headache, nausea, drowsiness,
mental impairment, unconsciousness and even death.
ii. Increasing levels of CO2 contribute to green house effect, warming of the atmosphere and climate change.
iii. Sulphur dioxide causes disease of the respiratory systems like bronchitis and asthma.
iv. Nitrogen oxides can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. It also affects people with lung ailments such as
asthma and bronchitis.
v. Hydrocarbons interact with other gases and forms toxic by-product benzopyrene which is carcinogenic.
vi. Smog is the combination of smoke and fog. Smog forms a brownish-yellow or grayish-white haze in the air,
primarily over urban areas and especially. It impairs visibility by scattering of light.
vii. High concentration of ozone in the air near the ground level causes breathing problems, aggravates lung and
heart diseases, reduces resistance to colds, pneumonia and etc.
viii. Particulates Particulates can irritate the nose and throat, damages the lungs, aggravate asthma and
bronchitis and shortens life. Toxic particles such as lead, cadmium and etc can cause mutations, impotency and
cancers.
ix. Acid Rain After the release of the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen into the atmosphere they get oxidized into
acids. The oxide of sulphur in the atmosphere gets converted into SO 3.
When SO3 and NO2 dissolve in rain water, they form strong acids like sulphuric acid (H 2SO4) and nitric acid
(HNO3) and falls as acid rain. Acid rain may be defined as precipitation in the form of rain, fog, mist and snow
which is acidic with dissolved SO2 and NO2.
Affects of Acid rain
Acid rain increase soil acidity.
It corrodes buildings, statues, bridges, fences, railings etc.
It causes acidification of water bodies.
It reduces crop productivity
It harms human health.
1.1. Air Pollution
Air pollution is one of the largest environmental threats to human health, together with climate change. It is
responsible for the premature death of seven million people every year. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO) estimates, 9 in 10 people breathe polluted air, and fossil fuel-related air pollution kills 13
people every minute due to diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, heart
disease and stroke. In particular, the WHO estimated that outdoor air pollution in cities and rural areas caused
4.2 million premature deaths worldwide in 2019. Air pollutants can have both direct and indirect health effects.
Airborne particles, mainly those deriving from combustion, can have direct effects in terms of mortality due to
cardiopulmonary causes, hospitalizations and respiratory morbidity. Short- and long-term exposures to
particulate matter increase mortality and reduce life expectancy. Indeed, a 10 µg/m increase in PM10
concentration increases the risk of death from nonaccidental causes. In addition, primary and secondary
pollutants may have an indirect effect on human health through extreme temperatures produced by climate
change. In fact, extreme temperatures are associated with increased risks for every cause-specific mortality
outcome and for most morbidity outcomes, particularly in the most susceptible subjects such as the elderly.
Secondary pollutants such as ozone can also have modifying effects on soil, damaging crops and reducing yields
and, interacting with climate change, can affect food safety and public health [4]. In addition, air quality is an
important issue not only in terms of health but also in terms of tourism. It has been seen, in fact, that air quality
constitutes an important factor that can influence the number of tourists, and this appears to have a great
influence on tourist cities.
1.2. Climate Change
The words “climate change” refer to long-term changes in temperatures and weather patterns. In addition to
natural factors which are represented, for example, by variations in the solar cycle, earth’s orbit, ocean cycles
and volcanoes (and other geologic activity), anthropic activities such as production processes (energy, goods
and food), deforestation, the use of transport and the supply and consumption of electricity for buildings have
become, starting from the nineteenth century, the main factors causing climate change. In March 2023, the
Latest Assessment Report on Climate Change was published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC). This scientific body was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) with the aim of providing political leaders with periodic
scientific assessments on climate change. The report highlights how much over a century of fossil fuel use, as
well as inequitable and unsustainable use of energy and land, have led to global warming of 1.1◦C above pre-
industrial levels. The latter aspect has been associated with more frequent, more intense and more dangerous
extreme weather events. More intense heat waves, more violent rainfall and other extreme weather events
further increase risks to human health and ecosystems, which are even more difficult to manage if they combine
with other adverse events, such as pandemics or conflicts. The WHO estimated that climate change will cause
around 250,000 additional deaths per year due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress between 2030
and 2050. Direct health costs are estimated to be between USD 2 billion and USD 4 billion per year by 2030.
In general, concern about climate change and the greenhouse effect is growing in Italy; in 2022, 56.7% of those
interviewed believed that the greatest environmental concern is climate change, followed by problems related to
air pollution, felt by 50.2%.
Climate changes are producing changes in temperature, weather conditions, precipitation patterns, and a rise in
greenhouse gas emissions which is a drawback for the environment and people's health and lifestyles. For
examples, last year in August there was heavy rainfall and storm causing flood in Norway, especially on Valrdes
and Oslo. At the same time, other Nordic countries were experiencing strong wind and rainfall in Denmark,
Sweden, and Finland (The Guardian, 8 th August 2023). In September month of the Sweden also experienced a
landslide on Gothenburg-Oslo Highway, a major highway connecting two countries (AP news, 23 rd September
2023). On 5th January Sweden recorded –43.5-degree Celsius, The lowest temperature among 25 years. These
are a few recent events from which we can analyze how climate changes affect the weather conditions. Climate
change is also disturbing the ecosystem pattern causing change in the behaviors and variations of species which
play role in toxin bioaccumulation and biomagnification. For instance, change in temperature will allow the
distribution of wildlife species, vulnerable to exposure of toxins and these hamper the human health and lifestyles
through food chains too. Change in temperature, precipitations pattern is slowly creating pollutants leading to
greater atmospheric concentrations this unusual waterfall from precipitation can also swept the various toxin and
chemical from land to water sources creating water contamination. Furthermore, Global warming is day by day
worsening the quality of air, with the intensity of pollutants such as heavy metals, volatile organic compounds are
increasing toxicity in air causing various kind of allergies, asthma, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases,
and other diseases.
Background
Climate change and environmental toxins are unified challenges that are posing serious risk to human health and
lifestyles. This circumstance has multifaceted effects on individuals, diverse society, and ecosystem imbalance.
Even the public health sector, socioeconomic well-being and environmental stability are hampered.
Environmental toxins usually origin through heavy metals, organic compounds, air pollution, pesticides,
chemicals, or waste products from industries. These toxins might have multiple have multiple pathways including
air, water, soil, food, and consumer products and once released in environments toxin can persist for long-term
causing various effects on foods and water which harm human health and lifestyles. Nevertheless, Climate
change refers to long term change in weather patterns, temperatures, precipitation rise in sea levels as well as
ecosystem disruptions. Climate change amplifies the environmental challenges which aggravates the risk for the
release of environmental toxins. For instance, higher temperatures can Triger the release of toxins and photo
chemicals from contaminated sites causing increase of pollutants in the air release of harmful gases and various
vectors borne diseases, allergies, rashes on skin and many more.
Environmental toxins and climate change are creating confluence effects on human health. Individuals are
exposed to a wide range of diverse environmental stressors which are complex compounds which increase the
risk of diseases. Children, elderly, communities with limited incomes and those with disabilities are vulnerable
groups that are particularly more sensitive to harmful effects of environmental toxins and climate change. The
diseases allergies, asthma, vector borne diseases, water borne diseases, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular
disease, neurological impairments, reproductive problems, even cancers and other autoimmune diseases such
as Systemic Lupus Erythematous, Rheumatic Arthritis, and Lupus Nephritis. Diseases not only hamper the health
of individuals but also cause loss of productivity, impacts mental health too and health cost rises. Furthermore,
climate change and environmental toxins can also influence lifestyles of individuals, dietary choices, consumer
choices, housing choices, and transportation choices. Environmental toxins are creating health risks may suffers
individual, communities to take major steps for protection from these toxins on exposure to toxins, adopting
sustainable practices, and advocating for environmental justices.
