Smog And Pollution Essay, Research Paper
Smog is one of the major forms of air pollution. It makes being outside a health
threat. Some of the major contributers to smog are automobiles, factories, and
other things of this nature. High temperatures stimulate the effects of smog,
therefore, the highest levels of smog are on hot summer days. This means that
most of the problems associated with smog occur in the summer months. Health
effects vary from person to person. There is evidence that suggests that it can
cause some short-term breathing problems. This includes coughing, shortness of
breath, and pain with deep breathing. Individuals with asthma are much more
sensitive to smog. There are a few factors that determine how unhealthy smog is
to a person. The first factor is the amount of ozone in the air. Since heat is
usually associated with ozone, it will make the effects of smog greater. The
second is the length of the exposure. The longer a person is exposed to smog,
the greater the symptoms are. Finally, the third factor is how deeply a person
is breathing when exposed to smog. The hea
bigger dose of smog is going into their lungs. Scientific studies have suggested
that the lungs adapt to smog and other air pollution after prolonged exposure.
This defense mechanism disappears once a person is no longer exposed to
pollutants. Tests on rats, which were exposed to a polluted environment for a
extended period of time, concluded that there was no sign of lung cancer. The
government has stepped in to combat air pollution in general. They passed the
Clean Air Act in 1990. This act made provisions such as placing centralized
emissions testing facilities in high risk areas. The problem with the provisions
is that they cost a lot of money and the state governments do not want to pay
the exorbitant price tags. Locally, a law was recently passed which will all car
owners to get an emissions test on their cars by May of the year 2001. If their
automobile does not pass the test, they will have to get it fixed until it
passes the emissions test. The price of the repair is not expensive but it is
mandatory for the car to be able to drive on the road.