RUNNING HEAD: THE EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION

The Effects of Air Pollution to the Human Health

Community Problem

Vianney Rodriguez

University of Texas at El Paso

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Ever noticed that haze that floats atop the city. Air pollution has been a big issue in the

border cities, El Paso and Mexico, for many years. Many factors that contribute to the creation of

this haze can be categorized under particulate matter and ozone. This matter is caused by the life

style we have accommodated to with all of our technology advancements. This ugly cloud of

smog not only makes the city look dirty but it also damages the human health incredibly. Studies

have proven that the exposure of pollution in the air can be very harmful to the environment and

the human body by damaging the immune, neurological, and reproductive and respiratory

systems.

Particulate matter (PM), as defined by The United States Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA), is referred to a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets that are found in the

air. These PMs are categorized in two sizes, PM10, and PM2.5. Chemicals with the diameter of 10

micrometers can be the most dangerous due to easy inhalation and accessibility to reach our

lung. PM2.5 contributes to the dark haze that hovers over the city. Many of the chemicals that are

being emitted into the air coming from power plants, construction sites, automobiles, and

industries. As more chemicals are introduced to the air, citizens respiratory systems are in high

risk of cancer or asthma.

In fact, El Paso, as stated in the New York Times article in 2015 had indicated that it was

one of five cities in the United States, thats air pollution had exceeded its average. In

comparison to Los Angeles, categorized as severe contaminant city and taking in consideration

its vast amount of population, El Paso falls under a category of serious conditions. Considering

the population of such a small city creating such damage can be alerting. With each border city

contributing greatly to the vast amount of haze floating above the city, it would be unfair to
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blame on or the other. On one side of the border, we can see a significant amount of smoke

coming from the daily use of cars and the activism of many businesses. In Mexico, many of the

streets are unpaved, causing dust to lift from the ground and rise as each car passes on it. The

lack of government help towards the people can also be a factor of the conditions of clean air.

The many people from Mexico do not have the luxury to heaters and have to keep warm by

burning wood or anything they can afford or find. If there is a continuation in the increase of

gases being released the future of our earth can be very slim.

The environment changes due to the extreme conditions of contaminants, such as those

provoked by manmade waste; landfills. All of the trash that is accumulated begins to give off a

gas that is then introduced into the air, spreading to soil and plants around it. In our atmosphere

there is a thin layer called the stratosphere. The stratosphere is the layer of that helps prevent the

direct UV waves reach the earth. This layer is being worn out due to the exposure of mixed

contaminants. The earth then begins to experience changes in climate, which causes

environmental changes on earth that can be good and bad. If the earth begins to warm up more

than its normal it puts the glaciers in danger to melt creating the oceans to rise and animals that

live in the cold habits to die. Unable to adapt to the new conditions of the heat, many species can

go extinct.

According to some studied made on fourth graders academics, the air surrounding these

students has affected their success in school. When children are exposed to toxic surrounding,

especially at an early age, they have a tendency to do worse in school because their bodies arent

able to function correctly due to it fighting the circumstances their surrounded in. By daily

inhaling gas such as carbon monoxide, the immune, respiratory, and neurological systems begin

to crash due to the lack of clean air. Oxygen helps the cells in the body float properly through the
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body, without sufficient oxygen the cells begin to die off and cause the children to feel fatigue,

which then explains their lack of interest in school.

In conclusion, our community faces a great problem with the amount of pollutants we

release to the air unconsciously. Air pollution creates a serious danger to all living organisms on

the planet. It is important to limit the amount of gases we emit into the air, for the health and for

the future of the next generations, for they will depend on it. This can be prevented by reducing

the amount of time we spend driving cars, producing trash, and enforce recycling. When

traveling short distance it would be a healthier choice for both the human body and the

environment to ride a bike instead of driving. As a result they gain better health and the

environment won't be as contaminated.

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References

Particulate Matter (PM) Basics. (2016, September 12). Retrieved April 02, 2017, from

https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics#PM

Bienkowski, B. (2015, July 24). Bad air means lower grade point averages in Texas. Retrieved

March 26, 2017, from http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2015/jul/air-

pollution-children-health-iq-grades-point-average-environmental-justice-texas

Suro, R. (1991, December 21). Pollution Tests Two Neighbors: El Paso and Juarez. Retrieved

March 26, 2017, from http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/22/us/pollution-tests-two-

neighbors-el-paso-and-juarez.html

Acosta, L. L. (2015, August 28). UTEP Study Links Air Pollution to Children's Low GPAs.

Retrieved March 26, 2017, from http://news.utep.edu/utep-study-links-air-pollution-to-

childrens-low-gpas/

Health and Environmental Effects of Hazardous Air Pollutants. (2017, February 09). Retrieved

March 26, 2017, from https://www.epa.gov/haps/health-and-environmental-effects-

hazardous-air-pollutants