Health Effects of Air Pollutants

The effect of pollutants on human health depends on pollutant concentration in the ambient air and theduration to which the human beings are exposed. Adverse health effects of different pollutants onhuman health are given in Table for short term and long term exposures. Carbon monoxide oninhalation is known to combine with hemoglobin at a rate 200 to 240 times faster than oxygen thusreducing oxygen supply to body tissues and results in CO intoxication. Nitrogen oxides get dissolved inmucous forming nitrous and nitric acids causing irritation of nose throat and respiratory tract. Long termexposure causes nitrogen oxides to combine with hemoglobin and destruction of red blood cells. Longterm exposure resulting in more than 10% of hemoglobin to combine with nitrogen oxides causesbluish coloration of skin, lips fingers etc