WHAT we inhale impacts our health. It is now widely known that contact or exposure to outside air pollution aids acute and persistent health challenges, spanning from slight physiological effects to damaging the respiratory organs and causing cardiovascular diseases.
This is not only limited to humans, as animals and environment are affected as well.
In Nigeria, many people are fond of disposing of waste by the median or the roadside, which causes the release of bad and unpleasant smells.
This odour can cause temporary effects such as irritation in the nose, throat, eyes, skin, nausea, headaches, and dizziness, among others.
Speaking with the Director of Engineering Services, Oyo State Solid Waste Management Authority, Mr Afolabi Akeem Adewale, on regulations being put in place to ensure people don’t dispose of refuse or waste on the median or by the roadside, he said, “Fine or community service or both will be imposed on whoever is caught.”
He also added that radio jingles are being played to warn against such acts. Also, waste incineration can cause the release of a poisonous substance called carbon monoxide. This gas is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and deadly gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. High concentration of carbon monoxide kills in less than five minutes.
At low concentrations, it will require a longer period of time to affect the body.
The General Manager of LASEPA, Dr Dolapo Fasewe, has also said the people should ensure recycling. She urged the people to use rechargeable lamps instead of kerosene lanterns, gas instead of firewood and reusable bottles for drinking water instead of sachet or bottle water.
Air pollution and its causes
Air pollution comprises chemicals and particles in the air that cause damage to the well-being of humans, plants and animals. They may be solid particles, gases or liquid droplets. It also damages buildings.
Air pollution is a well-known environmental hazard. It’s most likely one of the most important environmental issues confronting the society today.
Oftentimes, it exists in the earth’s atmosphere through many ways and it’s caused by human endeavours such as emissions from cars, factories, plane construction; mining; agriculture; waste incineration; heating of buildings; coal power plants, etc.
In addition, natural or geographical factors such as wildfires, volcanic eruptions, wind and air currents, microbial decaying processes, radioactive decay processes, increasing temperatures, etc may pollute the air.
Effects of air pollution on human health
In extreme cases, air pollutants cannot be seen or smelled. Although, it does not mean that they are not present to a high extent to be a health risk.
Furthermore, a number of gases (Fume, air, smoke, vapour) are related to the what is called the greenhouse effect, which signifies that those gases hold on to more heat and therefore, adds to the total global warming.
The most common example of greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, which is released from lots of a manufacturing processes.
Another instance of greenhouse gas is methane, which is also a volatile gas. Air pollution has a dangerous effect on the health of humans. This is as a result of the extent of exposure and the kind of pollutant that is inhaled.
Speaking on the issue, a medical doctor at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Dr Peter Adewunmi, said the effects range from simple signs and symptoms like the irritation of the respiratory tract and coughing, which could be referred to as temporary effects, to severe conditions like chronic lung diseases and asthma.
In addition, irritations and skin problems can build up due to elongated exposure to different air pollutants.
A variety of cancer types can emerge after breathing in air contaminants (permanent effects). He also stated that it could also cause low immunity in the body.
Speaking further, Dr Adewunmi said there are many effects of air pollution on human health. “It can affect the cardio-vascular system and the respiratory system; it can cause cancer like lung cancer in the body; It can create an imbalance in the oxidative reactions in the body such that the oxidative stress starts killing the cells in the body.”
He also mentioned that air pollution can cause birth defect, especially at the early pregnancy stage. This is such that it can cause malformation of the foetus. Adewunmi also mentioned the people that air pollution affects the most.
He said it affects the most extreme of ages, meaning the younger age group and the older age group.
Last year, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) said that 22,500 children died from air pollution in the state.
It stated that 75% of 30,000 people died in 2021 in the state due to the bad environment. The general manager of LASEPA, speaking with journalists, disclosed that the figures were derived from a report which recorded the impact of air pollution on the health of residents.
People living around industries are not left out when it comes to the effect of the odour that comes from the factories near them.
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A resident of an area where a soap-making factory is located, Stephen Adedayo, said apart from the noises from the factories, the chemical odour that comes from these factories are unpleasant and thereby, make him uncomfortable.
He said, “The smell and fumes that come from both factories cause me to use face masks almost all the time. It’s really unpleasant.”
Air pollution and the environment (plants and animals)
Air pollution, which falls back to the earth, can directly affect the surface of the bodies of water and the soil. It kills crops and in turn, reduces their yield. It can, in addition, kill young trees and other plants.
Sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide particles that exist in the air, when mixed with oxygen and water can form acid rain. These pollutants come mostly from fumes from motor vehicles and coal power plants.
When the acid rain falls to the earth, it causes damage to the crops and causes buildings to decay. As humans can also be affected by air pollution, animals can too. They can have diseases, reduced reproductive rates and birth defects.
What everyone can do
Experts have suggested that individuals can also make efforts to minimise air pollution. This is such that people can stop disposing waste just anywhere and by abiding by the regulations and rules of waste management.
Also, people can start taking public transportation instead of driving their private cars. In addition to these, people who have cars that have spoiled should repair them immediately to avoid maximum release of emissions and non-smoking of cigarettes, among others. Individuals can preach clean energy to one another by encouraging recycling of waste.
People who use firewood, stove, burning charcoal in their homes can avoid using them and substitute them with the use of gas. The government can also help in sanitising the environment.
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