IJSTE - International Journal of Science Technology & Engineering | Volume 4 | Issue 5 | November 2017 ISSN (online): 2349-784X
Review on: Urban Air Pollution and its Health Impacts Anoop Kumar Verma Department of Civil Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Deepesh Singh Department of Civil Engineering Kamla Nehru Institute of Technology Sultanpur
Abstract This paper mainly describes the air pollution of India in historical time as well as present time. As we know that there is a very close relation between human need and pollution. As development of society taken place pollution also increases rapidly. So we can see that trend of air pollution from earlier time to present time and there concentration in different topographical and metrological conditions. This paper also reviews the potential health consequences of changes in climate that affect urban environments. These changes in climate, include increases in the frequency and severity of heat waves, severe storms coupled with sea level rise, and wildfires, plus increases in urban airborne ozone. The potential for adverse health effects is substantial. As we know that carbon dioxide(CO2), oxide of nitrogen (NOX), particulate matter(PM), CO mainly affects the human health so study is being focus on the diseases caused by these pollutants. Finally various conclusions that makes pollution up and down like we found out that the industrial emissions of air pollutants have increased considerably in India during 1973–1974 to 1996–1997. The main factors for these increases are the changes in the eco-efficiency of production, changes in the overall production structure, and changes in the volume of final demand etc. Keywords: Mortality, Air pollution, Energy ladder ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I.
INTRODUCTION
Urban air pollution poses a significant threat to human health, property and the environment throughout both the developed and developing parts of the world. The issue of urban air quality is receiving increasing attention as a growing share of the world’s population is now living in urban centres and demanding a cleaner urban environment .The United Nations (UN) estimates that 4.9 billion inhabitants out of 8.1 billion will be living in cities by 2030 (UNCSD, 2001). Rapid urbanization has resulted in increasing air pollution emissions due to transportation, energy production and industrial activity, all concentrated in densely populated areas. The environmental impacts are particularly severe in cities of about 10 million or more inhabitants—also known as megacities (e.g., Gurjar and Lelieveld, 2005), especially in Asia where some countries (e.g., China and India) combine strong industrial expansion, high population density and number, and intense motor vehicle use. Air pollution has become a major concern in India in recent years both because it is now clear that large parts of the Indian urban population are exposed to some of the highest pollutant levels in the world (Smith, K. R. 1993) and also because new studies around the world on the health effects of air pollution have increased confidence in estimates of the risks posed by air pollution exposures. The situation in China and a number of other developing countries is similar. Overall premature mortality from outdoor urban air pollution has been calculated using exposure-response results from studies of urban outdoor pollution in developed countries to estimated air pollution levels based on the limited available measurements. Because they are most frequently measured worldwide and have been the subject of intense epidemiological investigation in the last 15 years, particulates are used in most studies as the indicator pollutant, although other health-damaging pollutants (SOx, volatile organics, NOx, O3, etc.) are also usually present. Annual concentrations reported at urban monitors in India for PM10, particles less than 10 microns in diameter, range 90– 600 mg/m3, with a population mean of about 200 mg/m3. Historical Background Air pollution from automobiles, industrial processes, and the burning of coal in factories and in homes has also been a serious problem. In the 19th century, episodes of "smog" (a combination of smoke and fog) in cities like New York and London resulted in many deaths. Air pollution continued to be a significant problem up through the middle of the 20th century. In late October of 1948, 20 people were asphyxiated and more than 7,000 became seriously ill as the result of severe air pollution over Donora, Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 2005). There is a concept of “energy ladder” defines in the household fuel used. This is a concept gives a whole concept at a glance. As one moves up the ladder, the cleanliness, efficiency, and convenience of the fuels tend to increase, along with their costs. History has shown that people will generally move up the ladder when they have the opportunity and resources to do so. Long ago, all of humanity started at the centre of the ladder, with wood. Roughly half the world has been able to move up to the modem fuels. This means GDP and per capita income also associated with this concept.
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