Blog #4 Particulate Matter as a Health Hazards

Blog 4: Particulate matter as a health hazard

           “Particulate matter, also known as particle pollution or PM, is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets. Particle pollution is made up of a number of components, including acids (such as nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles.”

-    http://www.epa.gov/oar/particlepollution/

           Particles come in many shapes and sizes, however there is a correlation between the size of particulate matter and the severity of possible health problems. Particulate matter can be grouped by size.  Bigger particles are called PM10 because they have a diameter of 2.5 and 10 micrometers. A good comparison to understand just these sizes a PM10 can be from about twenty five to a hundred times thinner than a single human hair. Smaller particles are called PM2.5 because their diameter is smaller than 2.5 micrometers. This is a hundred times thinner than a human hair.

Sources of particulate matter include,

      From Nature:

           “Dust

             Soil

             Sea salt

             Forest fire smoke

             Pollen, spores, mold

             Livestock"

Sources from Human Activities:

          “Cars

           Buses

           Boats

           Airplanes

           Construction 

           Equipment

           Lawn mowers/snow blowers

           Heating furnaces

           Factories

           Incinerators

           Power plants

           Mining

           Tobacco smoke

           Cooking smoke”

-    http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/air/pmtable1.htm

           The EPA divides Particulate Matter into two groups. Coarse particles are larger than 2.5 micrometers and smaller than ten micrometers in diameter. They can come in the shape of dirt, dust, smoke, pollen mold and spores. Fine particles, are 2.5 micrometers and smaller in diameter. These particles may be toxic organic compounds, heavy metals emitted from fire, power plants and cars.

Fine particles can be very dangerous, because their small size allows for a deeper journey into the body, the lungs or even the bloodstream. 

           

           Other factors that can affect how deep into the body particle matter goes includes, the way you breathe, fitness level, age, existing conditions and even the temperature.

Breathing through the mouth allows particulate matter to travel deeper into the body.

While exercising, particulate matter can travel deeper.

Older people breathe less deeply so particles may not get as deep.

If a lung disease blocks the airway, particles will not travel very deeply.

Depending on the weather and temperature particulate matter particulate matter can enter the body very easily and very deeply.

           All this can detrimentally affecting one’s health and hearth. These particles have been linked to severe asthma, heart attacks, premature death in people with lung or hearth disease, and severe respiratory problems like difficult breathing, coughing or intense irritation of the airways.

           Finally particulate matter can, “--be carried over long distances by wind and then settle on ground or water.  The effects of this settling include: making lakes and streams acidic; changing the nutrient balance in coastal waters and large river basins; depleting the nutrients in soil; damaging sensitive forests and farm crops; and affecting the diversity of ecosystems.”

-    http://www.epa.gov/oar/particlepollution/health.html

          Personally I think its scary just how dangerous particulate matter can be for our bodies and our ecosystem.