Outdoor Air Quality Fact Sheet
What is outdoor air quality?
Outdoor air quality has to do with the quality of air we breathe when we are outside. The quality pertains to the amounts of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological matter that is in our air. When there is an increase in any of the harmful substances then the quality of our air decreases.
Where does air pollution come from?
Air pollution comes from many different sources. There are stationary sources, which are factories, power plants, dry cleaners, and degreasing operations. There are mobile sources, which are cars, buses, planes, trucks, and trains. Lastly, there are naturally occurring sources such as windblown dust, and volcanic eruptions.
Health Impact of Air Pollution
- Skin rashes
- Nausea
- Asthma
- Cough, Throat Irritation
- Headache/Dizziness
- Chronic Bronchitis
- Kidney, Liver Damage
- Cancer
- Nervous System Damage
- Birth Defects
- Miscarriages
Actions to Improve Air Quality
- Whenever it is possible: walk, bike, bus, or car pool to your location
- Purchase fuel-efficient vehicles
- Avoid Idling
- Keep your car maintained
- Limit the amount of energy you use at home and conserve water
- Use environmentally friendly products
- Install solar energy on your home
- Recycle
Where can you get more information?
www.airnow.gov
www.epa.gov
www.lungusa.org
www. arb.ca.gov
Outdoor Air Quality can be in our control. Vote YES for acts that relate to air quality to let your voice be heard.
OMG! GREAT fact sheet. I like how this one has a lot of good information and very well done. Also, adding the websites at the end was a smart idea. People can go look for information on their own if they wish.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips for reducing air pollution! It's scary to think about our air not being safe enough for us to breath!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting to see how many things can be caused, health wise, by lack of air quality. Very nice!
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