Air Pollution in General

I have posted earlier an article about air pollution caused by drugs which happened in Rome. It is clearly a new modern kind of air pollution which threathens human life. However, it is important for us to know what air pollution is in general, and why it can affect to human's health. The article I took from http://www.lbl.gov has a clear explanation about it.

What is Air Pollution?

Air is the ocean we breathe. Air supplies us with oxygen which is essential for our bodies to live. Air is 99.9% nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor and inert gases. Human activities can release substances into the air, some of which can cause problems for humans, plants, and animals.

There are several main types of pollution and well-known effects of pollution which are commonly discussed. These include smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and "holes" in the ozone layer. Each of these problems has serious implications for our health and well-being as well as for the whole environment.

One type of air pollution is the release of particles into the air from burning fuel for energy. Diesel smoke is a good example of this particulate matter . The particles are very small pieces of matter measuring about 2.5 microns or about .0001 inches. This type of pollution is sometimes referred to as "black carbon" pollution. The exhaust from burning fuels in automobiles, homes, and industries is a major source of pollution in the air. Some authorities believe that even the burning of wood and charcoal in fireplaces and barbeques can release significant quanitites of soot into the air.

Another type of pollution is the release of noxious gases, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and chemical vapors. These can take part in further chemical reactions once they are in the atmosphere, forming smog and acid rain.

Pollution also needs to be considered inside our homes, offices, and schools. Some of these pollutants can be created by indoor activities such as smoking and cooking. In the United States, we spend about 80-90% of our time inside buildings, and so our exposure to harmful indoor pollutants can be serious. It is therefore important to consider both indoor and outdoor air pollution.

How to Get Your Calcium Supplies

It's easy for you to get your calcium in pills. But what you miss are the extras you get by eating foods that are good calcium sources and rich in other nutrients that do your body good. So here's a quick shopping list, and don't miss the bonus at the end: It will help your body get the most out of every calcium-rich bite you feed it.

Go fishing One tin of sardines (about 3½ ounces) supplies 370 mg of calcium. That's much more than a glass of 1% milk (290) and about a third of the daily 1,000 mg you need. (After 50, make that 1,200.) Plus these little fish are bursting with healthy omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium.

Drink the other bottled calcium Mineral waters contain as much as 108 mg of calcium per cup -- not as much as milk, but hey, there's a big bonus: no calories! Just check the label to be sure your fave has the right stuff.

Build a smarter lunch salad Salad bars are full of calcium if you know what to pick, and we're not talking cheese cubes. Start off with 1 cup each of spinach (30 mg of calcium), romaine (15 mg), and broccoli (43 mg). Then add ½ cup of navy beans (62 mg) and 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds (176 mg), plus whatever else floats your lunch boat. Total: around 325 mg of calcium, plus beaucoup fiber, vitamins C, A, E, some protein, and a healthy, filling, good-for-all-of-you meal.

Get juiced A medium orange has -- surprise -- about 55 mg of calcium, and calcium-fortified OJ has a hefty 300 mg a cup or more. Not to mention all those sunny citrus vitamins.

Bonus: Take a walk Even if you're getting plenty of calcium, your body may be slow on the uptake. It needs vitamin D to deposit calcium where it's most needed, but very few foods contain D. However, your skin makes lots of D when it's exposed to sunlight, and fast. About 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure a few times a week is all that's needed. That's the main reason why something as simple as getting a safe amount of sun can make your RealAge as much as 1.7 years younger.

Original Source: http://food.yahoo.com

Notes: What's interesting to me is that one of the comments followed by this article. I think the comment is factly true, because we can see that osteoporosis cases are still high in the world, even in the country that its people has a good standard of living. Here is the comment:

Posted by Mr. BIG on Wed, Jun 20, 2007, 8:03 pm PDT

This is a good article, but it stops short of discussing the real issue of calcium. Most of the calcium you find in foods that add this mineral to the food to claim that the food is good for you because it contains calcium, is calcium carbonate. This is the cheapest form of calcium because it's not from a living source, but from rocks. Blackboard chalk is calcium carbonate. It causes kidney stones, can be toxic to the body, the bones only contain about 10% of this type of calcium, and the liver has to sort it out before the water can be used by the body. Also, before calcium can be absorbed, the stomach must be acidic. Calcium also competes with magnesium for absorption in the jejunum and the amount of calcium absorbed will depend on the body's need for it compared to magnesium. Antacids that are being recommended by doctors, pharmacists, and drug companies are causing calcium deficiencies because they just don't know the truth or have other motives such as profit, for recommending or selling the antacid garbage. The Boniva drug interrupts the blood calcium to bone calcium cycle and wreaks havoc with the coronary calcium levels in the blood, leading to problems with cholesterol. If you consume calcium without understanding these things and managing the digestive system properly, the calcium found in drugs, processed foods, combined with synthetic vitamins, ends up in the sewer system and the person with problems like osteoporosis, thinking that they are doing the right thing. Amazing. No wonder 75% of all Americans are dying of heart disease and degenerative diseases are on the increase, and our longevity is now ranking 24th in the world.

AIR POLLUTION IS MORE COMPLEX

Most people think that air pollution just come primarily from automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. But today we will know from the article below that a new, strange air pollution have emerged as a threat to our health.

There's something in the air in Rome: cocaine

ROME (Reuters) - Scientists have discovered particles of cocaine and marijuana, as well as caffeine and tobacco, in the air of Italy's capital, they said on Thursday.

The concentration of drugs was heaviest in the air around Rome's Sapienza university, though the National Research Council's Dr. Angelo Cecinato warned against drawing conclusions about students' recreational habits.

Calling their study "the first in the world to show the presence of particles of cocaine suspended in the atmosphere of the city," the researchers said they took samples in Rome, the southern city of Taranto and in Algiers in North Africa.

Nicotine and caffeine were detected in all three, "showing how widespread consumption of these substances is and how they remain in the atmosphere," state-funded CNR said in a statement.

The concentration of cocaine in Rome's atmosphere was only 0.1 nanogrammes (1 nanogramme is one billionth of a gramme) per cubic metre at its height during winter months, the researchers said. But the conclusions were worrying for public health.

"It is well documented that even small concentrations in the air of these pollutants can seriously damage health," said Dr. Ivo Allegrini of the CNR's Institute for Atmospheric Pollution.

Source: reuters