Environmental Health

Air Quality Index (AQI)

AQI: developed by the EPA is an index for reporting daily air quality

Range From: 0-500Air Quality: good to hazardousColor Code: green to maroon

To Reduce Air Pollution…

1. Reduce car use: walk, bike, take public transportation or carpool.

2. Conserve Energy: turn off lights when not in use, set the air conditioner at a higher temperature and put on extra layers instead of turning up the heat

Indoor Air Pollution

SBS- (sick building pollution): refers to a situation where occupants of a building experience health problems Symptoms: headache, itchy & irritated eyes, throat &

nose; dizziness & nausea; fatigue, inability to concentrate & sensitivity to odors.

Lead Exposure- especially in children can cause damage to the kidneys, liver, brain & nerves.

Asbestos- linked to lung cancer

Protecting Land & Water

Recycle materials whenever possible to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfills.

1. Dispose of all materials properly- oil paints, paint solvents & batteries should not be put in the trash.

a. Don’t pour household chemicals or motor oil down the drain or onto the ground, take these to collection sites.

2. Follow directions when using chemicals such as cleaning products, fertilizers & pesticides—don’t overuse them.

3. Reduce water usage– repair leaky faucets and follow recommendations for landscape watering.

MEDICINE DISPOSAL

1. Do not dispose by flushing down the toilet as this can get into the groundwater.

2. For pills, transfer from the bottle to a covered container or zip-top bag. Mix with old coffee grounds or cayenne pepper to discourage people or animals.

3. Transfer liquids into some cat litter, sand or sawdust to solidify & seal carefully.

4. When tossing empty bottles black out personal info.

BOZEMAN’S SOLID WASTE DIVISION Bozeman.net/waste/solid-waste.aspx

Gallatin Local Water Quality District Click on “Education:Brochures & Fact

Sheets” gallatin.mt.gov/Public_Documents/gallatincomt_wqd-pages/lwqd

Noise Pollution

The harmful & unwanted sound of sufficient intensity to damage hearing. Hearing impairment rarely leads to total deafness,

however the hearing loss is permanent. Decibel: unit used to express the relative

intensity of loudness of sound. Normal conversation is 65 decibels Exposure to noise levels of 85 decibels and above

can result in temporary hearing loss often accompanied by ringing in the ears

NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS Attending noisy concerts & clubs Using firearms, loud tools & recreational

vehicles (snowmobiles & some motorcycles)TRICKY PART IS THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW

OF DAMAGE EARLY ON - IT TAKES MULTIPLE EXPOSURES & SOMETIMES YEARS TO FIND OUT - 10-20 yrs.

Adolescent Hearing Loss

New study released Summer 10’ 1 in 5 adolescents have hearing loss Why? Rise in use of iPods – ear buds Full volume = 105 decibels Only use full volume 1 or 2 songs or else

risk hearing loss

SIGN OF HEARING LOSS

Leaving a loud venue with ringing ears - after resting ears they might recover partially but with repeated exposure comes more damage to the hair cells in the inner ear -the key to good hearing.

WHAT’S TOO LOUD?

Prolonged exposure to sounds above 85 dB 30dB a whisper 50 dB sound of heavy rainfall 60 dB normal conversation 70 dB rush-hour traffic 90dB subway train; lawn mower 100 dB power saw; drill 115 dB sandblasting; loud rock concert 130 dB race car noise

What’s Too Loud - continued

140 dB jet engine 150 dB fireworks 170 dB shotgun blast

iPods - damage to the inside of ears 15 minutes @ 85 dB’s