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C
LEAN ENERGY
NEPAL
Air Pollution Teaching ToolkitManual on how to teach Air Pollution to Students of Grade 79
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Prepared by
Charina Cabrido
Gopal Raj J oshi
Published by
Clean Air Network Nepal
Clean Energy Nepal
Air Pollution Teaching ToolkitManual on how to teach air pollution to students of Grade 79
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C opyright 2010.
C lea n Air Netw ork Nepa l
C lea n Energy Nepa l
All rights reserved.
Us ers ma y reprod uce a nd us e c ontent o f this Too lkit for
noncommercial purposes by informing and giving due
credit to a forementioned orga niza tions a nd w riters w ho hold
copyright. No other uses are permitted without the express
written permission of the aforementioned organizations.
Layout Design and Printing bywps, tel: 01-5550289, email: [email protected]
Acknowledgement
This too l kit w ould ha ve not b een prod uce d in this sha pe
w ithout the s upport of sta ffs in CEN and C ANN.
We would like to extend our gratitude to FK Network Nepal
for providing financial support for printing this tool kit and
piloting in s choo ls to a ss es s its effectiveness .
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Foreword
We are experiencing rapid growth rate of urbanization, motorization and
industrialization. Our overwhelming dependence on fossil fuel to drive our
da ily life a nd e co nomic a ctivities ha s led to relea sing of va rious g reen house
ga se s a nd a ir pollutants into the a tmosp here resulting in de grad ing of theq uality of a ir in the urba n a rea s a nd g lob a l prob lem o f clima te c hang e.
Degrading of the quality of air in the urban areas has put at risk the lives
of millions of people under direct threat due to health impacts associated
w ith a ir pollution. Accord ing to e s tima tion b y the World He a lth Orga niza tion
(WHO), a bo ut 530,000 prema ture d ea ths in Asia oc cur every yea r bec a use
of outdoor air pollution.
The q ua lity o f a ir in Kathma ndu va lley is muc h low er than the na tiona l
and international standards and the occurrence of high level of PM 10 inthe atmosphere has become a major health concern. Vehicular emission
follow ed b y roa d re-suspe nsion dust, s moke a nd d ust out of the bric k kilns
a re the ma in c ulprits .
It is no t that there is no thing d one to a dd res s this g rave prob lem. Va rious G Os
a nd I/NG Os a nd private se ctor a like ha ve sho wn their conce rn to a dd res s
the problem of air pollution in Nepal but they are strikingly insufficient as
co mpa red a ga inst the ma gnitude a nd g ra vity of the prob lem.
Air pollution prob lem is a multi face t problem. Roa d a nd tra ffic ma na ge ment,transport, usage of energy, urbanization, industrialization directly or
ind irectly co ntribute to the p roblem. This is w hy c lea n a ir initia tives should
be implemented in c oordinated a nd integrated ma nner to res ult s ynergy.
In this co ntext, public a w a reness a nd ed uca tion s hould b e integral pa rt of
such an initiative. With enhanced knowledge and information, locals and
a uthorities c onc erned w ill be motiva ted to a do pt clea n a ir friend ly prac tice s
a nd b ehaviors.
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This integ ration is b ette r ea rlier done, tha n la ter. S choo l children are very
go od entry po int to d iss eminate information, knowledg e a nd s kills on w a ys
to c ontrol a ir pollution. Ed uca ting stud ents mea n investing on future g reen
society that will care for the environment. Moreover, educating school
children means transfer of knowledge to their peers and parents to have
multiplier effect. This too lkit a ims to he lp tea c hers, pa rents a nd e duc a tors
to provide correct and best information regarding air pollution and thus
create a pool of informed children. We are hopeful that this toolkit will
contribute to expanding clean air community in Nepal by facilitating easy
lea nings a bo ut the various is sue s o f a ir pollution in sc hoo ls .
P a nka j KC G opa l Raj J oshi
P rog ra m Direc tor Country C oo rdina tor
CEN CANN
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Overview of the Toolkit
C hildren a re mo re vulnerab le to a irbo rne po llutants a nd they a re o ften more
susceptible to the health effects of air pollution because their immune
sys tems a nd o rga ns a re s till developing a nd thus imma ture.
This Air Pollution Too lkit w ill a ttempt to help tea chers, ed uca tors a nd
c a mpa ig ners in helping c hildren increa se their unde rsta nd ing o f air po llution
a nd the w a ys it a ffects their hea lth, family a nd c ommunity.
Some materials in this toolkit are compiled from various sources and
redes ig ned to suit the loc a l co ntext in Nepa l. This too lkit provide s tea che rs
a nd educ a tors with eas y to use les so n pla ns, enga ging a ctivities , and o ther
resources that can teach students about air pollution, changing climate,
hea lth effec ts o f pollutants a s w ell a s a ctions that they c a n initia te to protect
their health and reduce air pollution.
The ma teria ls in this too lkit supplement the environmenta l, hea lth a nd
sc ience les so ns a t seventh, eighth a nd ninth gra des . The les so ns a re to
be conducted by teachers, educators and youth volunteers working as
ca mpa igners to s tudents of gra des 7 to 9. The les so n pla ns a re de signed
to be stand alone activities that can complement the actual lessons and
can be easily incorporated in the school curriculum. For easy facilitation
a nd effec tive tea ching me thod s , a ll use rs o f this to olkit a re to b e instructed
a nd tra ined o n how to use this ma teria l before ca rrying o ut an a ctua l sc hool
activity.
Contents of the Toolkit
This Air P ollution Toolkit inc lud es :
A B a ckground S ummary section of eac h les so n pla n that s ummarizes
the lessons topics and procedure.
Learning Objectives
Materia ls need ed for activitiesDuration of the activities
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P roc edures or step b y step instructions o n how to c onduct les so ns
Resources or background information that can assist the teachers/
ed uca tors w ith information reg a rding a ir pollution.
Key Mes sa ge s tha t provides a n overview of a ir q uality iss ues c overedin the lesson plans.
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Materials Ha rd Ca rd Boa rd Pa per
Markers
Ta pes
Erasers
LCD P rojecto r, La p top,
curtain and Extension
cords if power point
presentation is planned
What is Air Pollution?
Background Summary
Air pollution has become a problem in Nepal. It has
damaged every aspect of environment including
vegetation, animals, human health, water resources and
properties.
The prima ry ca use s of a ir pollution a re b oth ma n ma de
a nd na tura l proce sses . The c omb ustion o f foss il fuels in
hous eholds a nd industria l ope ra tions is ma inly c ontributing
to emission of pollutants in the atmosphere.
The na tiona l gove rnment reg ula tes a ir po llution throug h
la w s a nd po licies in order to protec t human hea lth a nd the
environment.
There a re s evera l w ords tha t a re use d w hen disc uss ing the
subject of air pollution and this will be further discussed
in the a c tivity.
This activity will run for
60 minutes
Learning Objectives
At the end of les son, the s tudents w ill beable to:
Define the terms Air Pollution a nd Air
Pollutants
Distinguish between Ambient Air
P ollution and Indoo r Air P ollution,
Urba n Air P ollution a nd Rura l Air
P ollution.
Lis t at lea s t 5 Criteria pollutants a nd
5 Haz a rdo us Air Pollutants.
1LESSON
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Procedures
1. Write the follow ing q ues tions o n a c ha rt paper a nd pla c e it on the bo a rd or use
pow er point s lide : Wha t is your understa nding o f Air Pollution a nd of Air Quality?
Do you think the q ua lity of a ir in your a rea is g oo d o r ba d?
How do you know ? Wha t evide nce is there to prove a ir pollution?
Why we need to talk about air quality? Guide the students to identify the
importance of clean air. Explain that bad air can contribute to a variety of
illnesses such as a sthma a nd ca ncer
2. Divide the w hole cla s s into groups o f 6-8 s tudents a nd instruct them to find the
answers for above questions. Each group needs to report the group discussion
findings to w hole c la ss .
3. To help the stude nts understa nd bette r, na rra te the sto ry of The Grea t Lond on
S mog from the ha ndout. Lea d the d isc uss ion ba se d o n this rea l life sc ena rio.
4. Expla in the definitions of Air P ollution, Air P olluta nt (c riteria a nd ha za rdous
pollutants), Ambient, Indoor, and Urban and Rural air pollutions using the
Resource Materials or power point presentation.
Session Materials
The Story of Great London Smog
SMOG is a type of large-scale out door po l lut ion. It is caused by ch emical
reactions between pol lutants derived from different sources, primari ly
autom obi le exhaust and indu str ia l em issions. Cit ies are often cent ers of
these types of act iv it ies, and m any suffer from th e effects of sm og, especial ly
dur ing the warm m onths of the year.
The G rea t Londo n S mog in Londo n sta rted o n Dece mber 4, 1952, and la steduntil March of 1953. It was a great disaster that killed thousands and formed an
impo rta nt impetus to the mod ern environme nta l moveme nt.
In early December of 1952, a cold fog descended upon London. Because of the
co ld, Lond oners be ga n to b urn more c oa l than usua l. The resulting a ir pollution
was trapped by the heavy layer of cold air, and the concentration of pollutants
built up dra ma tica lly. The s mog w a s so thick tha t it w ould s ome times ma ke d riving
impossible. It entered indoors easily, and concerts and screenings of films were
ca ncelled a s the audience c ould not see the stag e or sc reen.
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http: / /www.stippy.com/wp/ wp-content/zuploads/2 00 7/ 06 / london-fog. jpg
Road, rail and air transport were almost brought to a
s ta nds till. An estimate d 4,000 people died b ec a use o f it, and
ca ttle a t S mithfield, w ere, the press reported, a sp hyxia ted.
Many w ho died a lread y suffered from c hronic respira tory or
ca rdiova sc ula r complaints.
The indus tria l revolution b rought fac tory chimneys tha t
belched gases and huge numbers of particles into the
a tmosphere. S ome of these pa rticles ca used lung a nd eye
irritations and others were poisonous. From the gases,
corrosive acids were formed, notably sulphuric acid, which
is prod uced w hen sulphur dioxide co mbines w ith oxygen a nd w a ter.
During the day on 5 December, the fog was not especially dense and generally
possessed a dry, smoky character. When nightfall came, however, the fog
thickened . Vis ibility dropped to a few metres. The follow ing d a y, the s un wa s too
low in the sky to ma ke much of a n impress ion on the fog . Tha t night a nd o n the
Sunday and Monday nights, the fog again thickened. In many parts of London, it
was impossible at night for pedestrians to find their way, even in familiar districts.
In the Isle o f Dog s , the visibility w a s a t times nil. The fog there w a s so thick tha t
ht tp: / /chascreek.b logs.com/ .a/6a00d83451ded069e2010536ba24eb970c-500wi
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people could not see their own feet! Even in the drier thoroughfares of central
Londo n, the fog w a s e xce ptiona lly thick. Not until 9 Dece mber did it c lea r. In ce ntral
London, the visibility remained below 500 metres continuously for 114 hours and
be low 50 metres continuous ly fo r 48 hours . At Hea throw Airport, vis ibility rema inedbe low ten metres for a lmos t 48 hours from the morning o f 6 Decemb er.
Offic ia ls b elieve tha t a s ma ny as 12,000 people may ha ve died in the grea t Lond on
smog of 1952. Many o f those killed w ere elde rly peo ple or those w ho w ere alrea dy
w ea k or ill. Ac co rding to m ed ica l s ta ff tha t trea ted pa tients a t the time, few peo ple
realized the extent of the impact.
Dr Robert Waller was working at St Bartholomews Hospital in the capital in the
ea rly 1950s. He s a ys a shortag e of c offins a nd high s a les of flow ers w ere the first
indica tions tha t ma ny peo ple w ere be ing killed .
Source: http: / /hubpages.com/hub/Th-London-Smog-of-1 95 2
Resource Materials for Facilitators
The Basics of Air Pollution
What is Air Pollution? What are Air
Pollutants?Air pollution occurs when there is a high
conc entra tion of certa in substa nces that ca uses
the atmospheric environment to become toxic
enough to have adverse impacts on every
a spe cts of environment. The subs ta nces that
are responsible for air pollution are known as
air pollutants. Air pollutants can be gaseous,
liquid or solid in form, and can come from
natural as well as human sources.
Ambient Air Pollution: Ambient air refers to any portion of the atmosphere notc onfined b y w a lls a nd a roo f. The po llution of a mb ient a ir tha t w e b rea the outs ide the
room o r house is know n a s a mbient air pollution.
Indoor Air Pollution: Indoor air pollution refers to the condition of the air insidea building, which can be tainted by pollutants such as smoke, combustion fuel
sources, and building materials and furnishings that emit gas known as volatile
orga nic co mpounds (VOCs )
Air pollution can be classified as ambient, indoor, rural and urban based on spacea nd area.
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Air pollution can threaten the health of human beings, trees, rivers, crops, and
a nima ls. Abunda nt a mounts o f a ir pollution c hang es na tura l a tmos pheric proc es se s,
causing acid rains, ozone hole, and enhancing the greenhouse effect. Additionally, it
ca uses ec onomic loss es.
Criteria or Major Air Pollutants Hazardous Air Pollutants
Definition The c omm only found a ir polluta ntsfor which Air Quality Standard are
a vaila ble are known a s criteria or
ma jor a ir polluta nts.
Haza rdo us Air Po llutants a re c hemica ls
that are known or suspected to ca use
ca ncer or other serious hea lth effects,
suc h a s reproductive effects or birth
defec ts, or ad verse e nvironmenta l effects.
Examples Particulate Matter, Ground LevelOzone, C a rbo n Monoxide, Oxide s
of Nitrog en ( Nox), Oxide s of
Sculpture (SOx) and Lead
A ra nge o f hydroca rbo ns (e.g. b enzene,
toluene and xylenes,) and other toxic
organic pollutants (e.g. polycyclic
a roma tic hydroca rbo ns (P AHs), pe sticide
a nd polychlorinate d biphenyls (P CB s).
Sources Thes e a re genera lly found in hig herco nce ntration in the a ir. They a re
emitted from the use o f ga so line
run vehicles; coal fired power
plants, use of fossil fuel in home
a nd industries to meet e nergy
demand.
They a re ge nera lly found in very sm a ll
a mount in the a tmos phere. They a re a lso
emitted from vehicles, chemical industries
pa intings , pes ticides .
Sources of Air Pollution
Source Pollution
Natural Sources
Dust Storms: Dust Storms are produced due to wind circulation
a round the planet ea rth to ca use d ust pollution.
Forest Fires: Huge quantities of smoke are emitted during forest fires.
Volcano es : Volca noes relea se lots of so lid pa rticles, ga ses a ndradiation.
S ea S pray: It is a co ntinuous phenomeno n, which is a ma jor source
of pa rticulate s (liq uid droplets) pollution in the a tmo sp here.
Plant Pollen: During spring, lots of plant pollen is produced and
spread faster by wind to cause dust pollution.
Man Made Sources
Domes tic P ollution by us e of foss il fuels a nd c hemica l sub sta nces
such a s insecticides .
Industrial pollution by industries, power plants, chemical plants.
Traffic P ollution by us e o f fos s il fuel in vehicles
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One ma in ca use of a ir po llution is exha ust fumes from
cars and other vehicles that run on gasoline or diesel.
Until a few years a go, lea d w a s a dde d to most ga so line
to ma ke c a r engines run better. The lea d p a ss es
through the eng ine a nd out of the exha ust s ystem into
the air. Lead is a highly toxic metal and can cause
nervous sys tem da mag e a nd d iges tive problems.
Road traffic emissions, particularly from diesel
vehicles are a major source of Particulate Matter
(PM) and Nitrogen Oxide. On the other hand, Carbon
Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that is
formed w hen ca rbo n in fuel is no t burned c ompletely.
It is a component of motor vehicle exhaust. Higher
levels of C O ge nerally oc cur in a rea s w ith hea vy tra ffic
co nge s tion. P M10 pa rticles (the fra ction of pa rticula te
in air of very small size (
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a s c a dmium, mercury, chromium, and lead co mpounds . These a re a lso know n as a ir
toxics.
Kathmandu Valley is especially vulnerable to
air pollution due to rapid urbanization and the
significant increase of vehicular transport on
narrow streets. Furthermore, the bowl like
topo g ra phy of the valley restric ts w ind movement
and retains the pollutants in the atmosphere.
This is es pec ia lly w orse during the w inter sea so n
w hen invers ion, w here co ld a ir flow ing d ow n the
mountains is trapped under a layer of warmer
air, creating a lid, which keeps the pollutants
sea led w ithin the va lley.
More than three b illion peo ple w orldw ide co ntinue to de pend on so lid fuels , including
biomass fuels (wood, dung, agricultural residues) and coal, for their energy needs.
In Nepal, indoor air pollution is a major concern in rural areas since biomass fuel
supplies 85% of energy use. Cooking and heating with solid fuels on open fires
results in hig h levels of indo or a ir pollution. Indo or smoke c onta ins a ra nge of he a lth-
damaging pollutants, such as small particles and carbon monoxide, and particulate
po llution levels ma y b e 20 times highe r tha n a cc epte d g uide line va lue
Cartoon Clip Air Quality Forecast for the Day
Image lifted from: montgom erycountymd.gov
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Follow up Activity for the Lesson 1:Air Pollution Word Search
Materials
Air P ollution Word Sea rch
Handouts
Pencils
Erasers
LCD Projec tor, La p top, curtain
and Extension cords if power point
presentation is planned
Procedures
1. P la ce the Air P ollution Word Sea rch w ritten on ha rd c a rd bo a rd pa per on the
wall.
2. Expla in to the stud ents tha t they need to find the w ords c onnec ted to a ir pollution
in the Word S ea rch. Ask them to g o in front a nd enc ircle the wo rds tha t they ca n
identify in the Word Search.
3. Us e the List o f Air Quality Terms a nd Definitions ha ndo ut as a dd itiona l res ource
material.
4. After co mpleting the Word Se a rch a ctivity, as k one student to disc uss to the cla ss
one word in the Word Search. Encourage the student to share three interesting
fac ts a bo ut tha t w ord (persona l experiences , s olutions , etc ). The Ha ndout c a n be
used a s a guide to help them expla in their idea s to the clas s.
5. P rovide information and c ontinue ca lling s tudents to expla in until a ll w ords in the
Word S ea rch a re c overed.
6. B ring students to the conc lusion tha t w e are often unaw a re of how our everyda yactivities contribute to air pollution. Review actions that people should take to
improve a ir qua lity.
This activity will run for
60 minutes
2LESSON
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Session Materials
Air Pollution Word Search
D J L C O M B U S T I O N X Y Z A G H F
A X S T H J L W Q B T I O N P A Q Z X I
R M K W N O I S R E V N I L A M R E H T
O M P I A E T Y A M H T S A T N L Y G O
N A M B I E N T A I R M I G T S S R O Z I P M G
M M E R C U R Y Z G N B C V E
O G K N X B E N Z E N E M E T H Y L E N E
N I T R O G E N O X I D E S S A T T X O T O I C O
O A R S T E D I X O N O M N O B R A C X
X Y I Z F J I E Q R D H S L E N O Z O I
I P A R T I C U L A T E M A T T E R Z DD J N S S C O N T A M I N A N T D N I E
E W A C L E A N A I R V N B F J Y V O C S
S S E C O R P L A C I M E H C O T O H P
A S B E S T O S R E P S E L I M N E G Y X O
D T C Y M N A T U R A L S O U R C E S P
Here are the words to look for:
AMB IENT AIR LEAD
LUNGS P HOTOCHEMIC AL P ROCESS
CARB ON MONOXIDE AS B ES TOS
THERMAL INVERS ION METHYLENE
NATURAL S OURCES B ENZENE
CLEAN AIR NITROG EN OXIDES
VOC S C OMBUS TION
OXYG EN C ONTAMINANT
OZONE AS THMAMERCURY P ARTICULATE MATTER
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Resource Materials
List of Air Quality Terms and Definitions
AMBIENT AIR is the outdoor air in which humans and other organisms live andbrea the. The co ntent and q ua lity of ambient air is d irectly a ffected by the d a y-to-
da y a ctivities of humans .
CARBON MONOXIDE a colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas, CO, formedby the incomplete combustion of carbon or a carbonaceous material, such as
gasoline.
THERMAL INVERSION In meteo rolog y, a situa tion in w hic h a la yer of w a rm a ir (a ninversion la yer) lies ove r a la yer o f coo l a ir.
NATURAL SOURCES Forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion, pollen
dispersal, evaporation of organic compounds, and natural radioactivity are allamong the natural causes of air pollution.
VOCs a re c ompo unds tha t have a high va por pres sure and low w a ter so lubility.VOCs a re o ften c omponents of pe troleum fuels , hyd ra ulic fluids , pa int thinners,
and dry cleaning agents. VOCs are common ground-water contaminants.
OXYGEN A co lorles s, tas teles s, odo rles s, ga se ous, ga se ous element oc curingin the free s ta te in the a tmosp here, of w hich it forms a bo ut perce nt by w eight a nd
a bo ut percent b y volume, b eing s lig htly hea vier than nitrog en.
OZONE a n unsta ble, poiso nous a llotrope of oxyge n, O3tha t is formed na tura lly
in the ozone layer from atmospheric oxygen by electric discharge or exposure
to ultraviolet radiation and also produced in the lower atmosphere by thephotochemical reaction of certain pollutants.
LEAD One of the elements, a heavy, pliable, inelastic metal having a bright,bluish c olor, b ut ea s ily ta rnished.
PHOTOCHEMICAL PROCESS A chemical reaction influenced or initiated by light,pa rticula rly ultra violet lig ht, a s in the c hlorina tion of b enzene to produc e b enzene
hexachloride.
ASBESTOS either of two incombustible, chemical-resistant, fibrous mineralforms of impure magnesium silicate, used for fireproofing, electrical insulation,
building materials, brake linings, and chemical filters.
BENZENE A colorless, flammable, liquid aromatic hydrocarbon, C 6H6, derivedfrom p etroleum a nd us ed in or to ma nufa cture a w ide variety of c hemica l prod ucts,
including DDT, d eterge nts, inse cticide s , a nd m oto r fuels .
NITROGEN OXIDES any of several oxides of nitrogen formed by the action ofnitric a cid on o xidizab le ma teria ls ; prese nt in ca r exha usts .
COMBUSTION a chemical change, especially oxidation, accompanied by theproduction of heat and light.
CONTAMINANT A subs ta nce, element, or co mpound that ma y harm huma ns orother forms of life if released into the environment.
PARTICULATE MATTER Material suspended in the air in the form of minute solid
particles or liquid droplets, especially when considered as an atmosphericpollutant.
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Action Day Tips! CONSERVE ENERGY Your home energy consumption translates into airpollution, therefore a ny e nergy c ons ervation or effic ienc y improveme nts
you ma ke w ill help.
MODIFY YOUR TRANSPORTATION share a ride to work or use electricvehicles. Bicycle or walk to errands when possible.
ELIMINATE TOXIC CHEMICAL USE AT HOME A surprising number ofhousehold or home s hop c hemica ls a re toxic a nd vola tile. Many relea se
vapors into the a ir, inside the home a nd out. This c a n be s erious hea lththreat to your family, and contributes to community-wide levels of air
pollutants.
PLANT LEAFY TREES AND SHRUBS Dec iduous trees a nd s hrubs (the kindsthat drop leaves in the fall) are excellent air filters to help reduce smog
a nd co ol the air on hot summer da ys.
GET INVOLVED AND TALK TO YOUR LEGISLATORS Many of our currentgovernmental regulations are not strong enough to address our air
pollution problems. You need to work with your legislators and ask for
be tter po licies.
References
http://www.studyenglishtoday.net/lesson19.html
www.tceq.state.tx.us/assistance/education.html
http://www.epa.gov/air/airpollutants.html
www.drivecleanacrosstexas.org/for.../pol lut ion_wordsearch.pdf
Did You Know?
In the high layers of the atmosphere, Ozone acts asa protective sunscreen that shields us from the high
levels of UV radiation coming from the sun. At ground-level, however, it can be harmful to plants, animals, and
humans.
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Background Summary
Air is the ocean we breathe. Air supplies us with oxygen which is
es sential for our bod ies to live. Air is 99.9% nitrog en, oxyg en, w a ter
vapor and inert gases. Human activities can release substances
into the a ir, so me of w hich c a n ca use problems for humans , pla nts,a nd a nimals.
There a re se vera l ma in types of pollution and well-known effects
of po llution w hich a re c omm only disc uss ed . Thes e include smog ,
acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and holes in the ozone layer.
Eac h of thes e problems has se rious implica tions for our hea lth a nd
w ell-being a s w ell a s for the who le environme nt.
When people think about air pollution, they usually think about
smog, acid rain, CFCs, and other forms of outdoor air pollution.B ut did yo u know tha t a ir pollution c a n a lso exis t inside home s a nd
other buildings? It can, and every year, the health of many people
is affected by chemical substances present in the air within their
homes.
There a re ma ny sources of indo or a ir pollution. Tob a cc o s moke,
firew oo d co oking a nd hea ting a pplia nces , a nd va pors from b uilding
materials, paints, furniture, cause pollution inside buildings.
Both indoor and outdoor pollution need to be controlled and/or prevented. How can we prevent the damaging effects of air
pollution?
What is wrongwith this Picture?
Materials
P icture Pa ge found
on the to olkit
This activity will run for
60 minutes
3LESSON
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Session Materials: PICTURE PAGE
PICTURE 1 Little Arya is excited to paint his room with bright colors.
Procedures
1. Dra w the pictures g iven in the picture pa g es o f this too lkit on ha rd ca rd boa rdpaper. Instead of drawing, pictures from magazines or books can be cut and
pa sted o n the pa per.
2. P la ce the pa per on the w a ll so that everyone sees it.
3. Ca ll a s tudent a nd a sk w ha t is w rong in this picture (Referring to the firs t
picture).
4. Encourage the s tudent to provide expla na tion for ea ch of the pic ture.
5. Ca ll other s tudent and d o the s a me until a ll pictures a re covered .
6. B ring the cla ss into a discus sion on the so urces a nd effects of air pollution a nd
the preventive measures on how to reduce it.
Learning Objectives
Students will learn how to:
1. Identify the sources of air pollution
(manmade and natural).2. Ide ntify preventive mea sures that peo ple
c a n ta ke to red uce a ir pollution.
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PICTURE 2 Most farmers use chemical fertilizers in their daily work.
PICTURE 3 Amita g a thers firew oo d a nd us es it in co oking their food .
PICTURE 4 Deepa k burns their ga rba ge a t their ba ckyard.
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Resource Materials
PICTURE 1 Little Arya is excited to paint his room
with bright colors
Most paints give off fumes that evaporate
in the air, causing a variety of symptoms,
from hea da che to troub le brea thing. The
most common immediate symptoms from
paint fumes include eye and throat irritation,
headache, dizziness, and trouble breathing.
More long-term exposure to paint fumes can
lea d to neurolog ic a l problems (such a s c hronic
headaches) and chronic breathing problems
(suc h as a sthma ).
To a void getting s ic k from p a int fumes , first
be sure to pick a paint that does not have
any lead or mercury in it. Lead was removed
from pa int in the la te 1970s, b ut mercury w a s
only recently removed. Rea d pa int ca n la bels
ca refully b efore ma king a ny purcha se s.
When painting a room, be absolutely sure that the room is properly open to the air
outside (ventilated) both when youre painting and when its drying. Keep windowsopen to allow fresh air to circulate throughout the room and use exhaust window
fa ns to move a ir from in the room to the outs ide. This is pa rticula rly impo rtant fo r
very young children. Exposure to high levels of lead can affect a childs mental
de velopm ent, lea ding to lea rning prob lems .
PICTURE 2 Most farmers use chem ical fertilizers in theirdaily work
Chemical fertilizers are manufactured from synthetic
material that has equal distribution of three essential
nutrients: phosphorous, nitrogen, potassium. Several
chemical fertilizers have high acid content. Examples
of these a re a mmonium sulfate, a mmonium phospha te,
ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium chloride and the
like.
A relatively small amount of the nitrogen contained in fertilizers applied to the soil is
a ctua lly a ss imila ted into the pla nts. Much is w a shed into s urrounding bo dies of w a ter
or seep s into the g roundw a ter. This ha s a dd ed significa nt a mounts of nitra tes to the
wa ter tha t is cons umed by the public. S ome medica l studies have s ugges ted that
certain disorders of the urinary and kidney systems are a result of excessive nitrates
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in drinking water. It is also thought that this is particularly harmful for babies and
c ould even b e p otentially c a rcinog enic. The nitra tes tha t a re c onta ined in fertilizers
are not thought to be harmful in them. However, certain bacteria in the soil convert
nitra tes into nitrite ions . Res ea rc h has sho w n that w hen nitrite ions a re inge s ted , they
c a n ge t into the blood s trea m. There, they bond w ith hemog lob in, a p rote in that is
responsible for storing oxygen. When a nitrite ion binds with hemoglobin, it loses its
a bility to s tore oxyge n, resulting in s erious hea lth prob lems .
PICTURE 3 Amita ga thers firew ood and uses it in cookingtheir foodMost Nepa li hous eholds s till use ope n fire pla ce s inside
their homes for cooking , hea ting a nd lig hting . Thus
res pira tory and e ye dise a se s a re wide spread , espec ia lly
among women and children, as the wood used in the
kitche n burns w ith lots of b la ck s moke. The a vera g e d a ily
levels of exposure to particular matters are significant
highe r than the internationa l maximum a llow ed levels of
exposure. An average household in Humla uses 20 - 40
kg firewood a day for cooking, heating and lighting. Cooking in particular uses large
amounts of fire wood as the traditional meal, daal bhat (rice, lentil and vegetables),
ha s to be c oo ked one a fter the other. Fina lly the enormous fire wood co nsumption in
open fire pla ce s has a lso to b e mentioned a s ma in rea so n for defores ta tion in rura l
a rea s of Nepa l. The use o f efficient Improved Co oking S toves a nd b iog a s prod uced
from animal dung are some potential solutions to curb this problem.
PICTURE 4 Deepak burns their ga rbage at their backyardB urning ope n ga rba ge c rea tes po llution thats d a ngerous
to human health and contaminates the air, water, and
soil. S ma ll fires mea n b ig troub le. They prod uce a lot of
smoke, as well as a variety of toxic substanceseven
burning seemingly ha rmles s ma teria ls like pa per.
What is the Problem? G a rba ge has cha nged. Toda y's household tra sh
contains a lot of plastics and paper treated with
chemica ls, c oa tings , a nd inks.
S moke. P ollutants from ba ckya rd b urning o f tra sh a re relea sed prima rily into the
air and close to ground level where they are easily inhaledwith no pollution
controls!
Ash that remains contains concentrated amounts of these toxic materials that
ca n blow a wa y or seep into the s oil a nd g roundwa ter.
The pra ctice s o f reduc ing reuse , recyc ling a nd househo ld c ompos ting of w a ste
a re the bes t wa ys to s olve the problem so lid w a ste ma nag ement.
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PICTURE 5 Aasifs motorcycle did not pass the em ission testand he still drives it on the street.Air po llution is inc reas ing in urba n a reas of Nepa l, a nd the
ma jor so urc e of this problem is tra nsport sec tor. Number
of vehicles increases at the rate of over 10 percent per
year. Nepal distributes unleaded petroleum all over the
country but there are records of adulterated fuel supply
by dealers thus making the condition worst. Nepal has
se t vehicula r emiss ion sta nda rds of CO, HC a nd s moke.
In general 23% vehicles emit more than the standard
fixed. Maintenance of vehicles and monitoring systems are relatively unsatisfactory,
ma king pe ople a w a re a bo ut tra ffic norms, proper ma intenance of vehicles a nd c los e
guarding of the quality of fuel should help overcome this problem. Inspection on
roa d a nd a ir qua lity monitoring prog ra mmes sho uld be la unched b y the g overnment.
Inspection of vehicles on roads for emission level is required, as several vehicles
entering Kathmandu valley violate the emission standards. An urgency of air quality
measuring centre is realised. Because of bowl shape topography of Kathmandu
va lley, po llution s ce na rio b ec ome s a la rming.
PICTURE 6 Bimal is w orking on a brick kiln fac tory since hewa s 10 years oldThe b rick s ec tor in Kathma ndu va lley, w hos e functioning
and growth is directly linked to construction activity, is
prese ntly in the eye o f a s torm. P os itive ra te of g row th inconstruction activity in past few years has resulted in a
proliferation of brick kilns, which have reappeared in the
Valley with spectacular speed raising serious concerns
about the deteriorating air quality. It has been reported
tha t b rick kilns , prod uc ing in exc es s of 350 million bricks
a re the ma jor single source of S O2 and S P M in the environme nt of Ka thma ndu va lley;
c ontributing over 60 perc ent o f the em iss ions .
The b ric k manufa cturing indus try in Nepa l is under the proc es s of te chno log y s hift to
c urb this problem. Vertica l S ha ft B rick Kiln is one of s uch c lea ner techno log y w hic huses lesser amount of coals resulting reduction in emission of air pollutants and
green house ga ses.
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Key Messages
Air pollution can make you sick.It ca n ca use burning eyes a nd nose a nd a n itchy,
irrita ted throa t, a s w ell a s trouble in brea thing. S ome che mica ls found in polluteda ir ca use c a ncer, birth defects , brain a nd nerve d a ma ge a nd long -term injury to the
lungs a nd brea thing pas sa ges .
Air pollution can damage the environment.Trees , la kes a nd a nima ls have bee nharmed by air pollution. Air pollutants have thinned the protective ozone layer
a bo ve the Ea rth; this los s of ozo ne co uld c a use c ha nges in the environment a s w ell
a s mo re skin ca ncer and c a ta ra cts (eye da ma ge ) in people.
Air pollution can damage property. It ca n dirty buildings a nd o ther struc tures .
S ome c ommon polluta nts ea t a wa y stone, da mag ing b uildings, monuments a ndstatues.
Air pollution can cause haze, reducing visibility in national parks andsometime interfering with aviation.
Activity SheetI t is important th at w e use CLEAN FUELS.
Can you match the fuels (left) with the vehicles (right)?
A. Traditionalfossilfuel for cars
___.
ETHANOL
B.Liquefied petroleumgas (LPG)
___.
ELECTRIC
C.Corn to makealcohol fuel
___.
PROPANE
D. Used cookingoil ___.
GASOLINE
E.Recharging station ___.
BIODIESEL
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References
http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/activitybook/cleanfuels.html
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Chemical_Fertilizer_vs_Organic_Fertilizer
h t t p : / / w ww . r i d s - n e p a l . o r g / i n d e x . p h p / Sm o k e l e s s _M e t a l _ S t o v e _ SMS .
html?fontstyle=f-larger
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/reduce/burnbarrel.cfm
http://www .un.org/esa/gite/iandm/jhapaper.pdf
http://www.devalt.org/newsletter/jun03/of_5.htm
http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=3923&channel=0
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-71954.htmlAdapted from : Ozone Ac tion! Lets Clear the Air Educational Act ivities 6th Grade -
8th Grade West Michigan Clean Air Coalition. www.wmcac.org/grades6-8.pd f.
CLIMATE AND AIR QUALITY: A CASE STUDY OF PM10 POLLUTION IN KATHMANDU,
NEPAL
Mark L. Hildebrandt1 and Sum it Pokhrel2, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL 62026-1459
www.searo.who .int/.../National_Environment_&_Health_Action_Plan_chp9b.pd f
http://www.deq.state.id.us/air/educ_tools/inversion_in_cup_lp.pdf
http://www.ew.govt.nz/environmental-information/All-about-air/Weather-affects-air-
quality/
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Impacts of Air Pollution
Background Summary
Air pollution d oe s no t only da ma ge the a ir; it a lso d a ma g es environme nts o n Earthssurface and their inhabitants. Plants and animals are harmed by air pollution.
S ometimes it is the pollutants themselves tha t ca use da ma ge . Other times pollutants
combine and change the resources that plants and animals depend upon such as
water, soil, and nutrients.
The impa c ts o f air po llution a re diverse a nd nume rous. Air po llution c a n have serious
consequences for the health of human beings, and also severely affects natural
ecosystems. Because it is located in the atmosphere, air pollution is able to travel
ea s ily. As a result, a ir po llution is a g lob a l prob lem.
In this a ctivity, s tudents w ill explore more a bo ut the wa ys that a ir pollutants ca n da ma ge
health, ecos ystem, property a nd the c ountrys ec onomy using c oncept ma ps.
Co ncept ma ps encoura ge understanding b y helping s tudents o rga nize a nd enhance
their know led g e o n a ny topic. They help stud ents lea rn new informa tion b y integ rating
ea ch new idea into their existing b od y o f know ledg e.
Concept Maps can:demonstra te a n understanding of a bod y of know ledg e
explore informa tion a nd rela tions hipsaccess prior knowledge
sha re knowledg e a nd informa tion
visualize problem solving options
This activity will run for
90 minutes
Students will be able to identify key
co nce pts rela ted to impa cts of a ir po llution
to health, ecosystem, property and
economy and link the concepts together
in a n understa nda ble ma nner. This
activity will help the students construct
and understand meaningful relationships
using co ncept maps .
Materials
Chart Papers
Colored Pens
Topic Hea ding s
Learning Objectives
4LESSON
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Procedures
1. Divide the stud ents into four groups . Ass ig n the groups into the follow ing
topics: Air P ollution impa c ts o n Hea lth
Air Po llution impa cts on Ec os ys tem (P la nts a nd Anima ls)
Air P ollution impa c ts o n P roperty
Air Pollution impacts on Economy
2. Distribute the ma teria ls to ea ch g roup.
3. Ask eac h of the groups to w ork tog ether a nd brainstorm appropria te terms
to come up with a Problem Solution Concept Map. Each group will use their
res pec tive topic a s the ma in prob lem for the c once pt ma p.
4. Ask them to write in the cha rt paper the prob lem (topic as s igne d to ea c h g roup),its definition, c a uses , a nd e ffects , lea ding to a pos sible so lution.
5. Ask them to link the subtopics a nd topic hea ding s tog ether to form a co mplete
loop or cycle ma p. They ca n use w ords, s entences a nd a rrow s to link the
terms.
6. Ca ll the students to expla in a nd provide information rela ted to the loc a l sc ena rios
in Kathmandu Valley. Relate the story of Kanncha found in the Resource
Materials.
7. B ring the students to a discuss ion of solutions o n how to mitiga te the nega tive
impacts of air pollution.
Session Materials
AIR P OLLUTION IMP AC TS ON HEALTH
AIR P OLLUTION IMP AC TS ON P ROP ERTY
AIR P OLLUTION IMP ACTS ON EC OS YS TEM (P LANTS AND ANIMALS )
AIR P OLLUTION IMPAC TS ON EC ONOMY
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Resource Materials
Air pollution in Ka thma ndu ha s rea che d c ritic a l c ond itions . Be ca use o f its b ow l sha pe
and being surrounded by mountains, pollutants created by exhaust fumes fromvehicles and industry gets trapped. People can wear masks when they are outside,
but tha t only helps a little. Air pollution co ntrols a nd progra ms a re und er w a y, b ut it
w ill ta ke so me time for a ir q ua lity to return to hea lthy sta nda rds .
Impacts on Human Health
The hea lth impa c t o f a ir pollution in the
Kathmandu valley can be assessed
by the increa se in numbe r of pa tients
suffering from diseases related toair pollution. Medical records from
hospitals in the Kathmandu valley
revealed that urban residents have
more respiratory diseases than rural
res idents (LEADERS , 1998).
S imila rly, loo king a t the da ta ba se of huma n hea lth, tota l outpa tient (OP D) vis its, a nd
the percentage shared by the respiratory disease (ARI) for two years, it quite clearly
reflects the increasing trend of respiratory disease. From 1996 till 1998, number of
ARI patient is increasing at the rate of 22.89 percent per year. Similarly, share of ARIpatient out of total OPD visit has been increased from 9.99 to 10.11 percent within
the sa me spa n of time.
S imila rly, the tota l a nnual mortality c a se s in the Ka thma ndu va lley d ue to a ir pollution
is estimated to be 84 and the number of respiratory symptom days at about 1.5
million using the d a ta of 1990. The c os t o f morbidity res ulting from P M10 w a s found
to be NRs. 180 million a nd tota l hea lth da ma g e to be NRs. 210 million.
It is estimated that among the sources of air pollution, traffic sources (exhaust andresuspension) might have the largest impact on health. Furthermore, it is estimated
tha t the red uction in vehicle exhaus t emiss ions is mos t effective in terms of reduce d
hea lth d a ma g e (NRs 341 per kg emiss ion reduc tion) (World B a nk, 1997).
Impacts on Ecology and Historical Sites
Air pollution in Kathmandu is also causing damage to many historical building that
represe nt the c ultura l heritag e o f the Kathma ndu va lley. Acid ma de a s a res ult of va rious
sulphurous and nitrous oxides reacting with water can damage fine wood carving,
marble and metallic exteriors common to many historical building in Kathmandu. Airpollution a lso ha s a neg a tive impa ct o n the loc a l environment a nd ec olog y, w ith ac id
rain res ulting from pollution be ing de trimenta l to plant a nd a nima l life.
https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0605/5b16054125836/5b16055d8b262.jpg
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Impact on Tourism and EconomyIt is estimated that NRs. 0.5 billion per year in tourism revenue is lost due to air
pollution in Kathmandu valley (World Bank, 1997). Findings of a survey conducted
a mong 1,702 tourists betw een May a nd J une 2001 by MARG Nepa l indica te that
the q ua lity of a ir is the number one a rea w here touris ts fee l improvement is need ed .
This s how s tha t Ka thma ndus poo r tra nsporta tion s ys tem a nd po llution is no t only
affecting human health and environmental quality, but also the tourism industry
(Business Age, 2001).
What is Acid Rain?
Acid rain describes any form of precipitation with high levels of nitric and sulfuric
acids. It can also occur in the form of snow, fog, and tiny bits of dry material that
settle on to the Ea rth.
The b ig g es t culprit of a c id ra in is the burning o f fos s il fuels b y coa l-burning pow er
pla nts, fac tories , a nd a utomobiles .
When humans burn fossil fuels, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are
relea se d into the atmos phere. These c hemica l ga se s rea ct w ith wa ter, oxygen, a ndother sub s ta nce s to form mild s olutions of s ulfuric a nd nitric a c id. Winds ma y s pread
Did You Know?
Concept maps were developed in 1972 in the courseof Novaks research program at Cornell where he
sought to follow and understand changes in childrensknowledge of science (Novak & Musonda, 1991). The
fundamental idea in Ausubels cognitive psychology is thatlearning takes place by the assimilation of new conceptsand propositions into existing concept and propositional
frameworks held by the learner. Out of the necessity to find abetter way to represent childrens conceptual
understanding emerged the idea of representingchildrens knowledge in the form of a
concept map.
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these a cidic so lutions a cross the a tmosp here a nd o ver hundreds of miles . When a cid
ra in rea ches Earth, it flow s a cross the surfac e in runoff w a ter, enters w a ter sys tems,
a nd s inks into the soil.
Acid rain has many ecologicaleffects, but none is greater than its
impact on lakes, streams, wetlands,
a nd other aq ua tic environments. Acid
ra in makes wa ters a cidic a nd ca uses
them to absorb the aluminum that
ma kes its wa y from s oil into la kes a nd
s trea ms . This c omb ina tion ma kes
waters toxic to crayfish, clams, fish,
a nd other aq uatic a nimals.
Acid rain also damages forests,
es pec ia lly thos e a t hig her eleva tions . It rob s the s oil of es se ntia l nutrients a nd relea ses
a luminum in the s oil, w hich ma kes it hard for trees to ta ke up w a ter. Trees lea ves
a nd needles a re a lso ha rmed by a cids .
The effects o f a c id rain, comb ined w ith other environme nta l stres sors, reduce the
ca pa city of the trees a nd pla nts to w ithsta nd c old tempera tures, insects , a nd disea se.
The po llutants ma y a lso inhibit the a bility of the trees to reproduc e. S ome so ils
are better able to neutralize acids than others. In areas where the soils buffering
ca pa city is low , the ha rmful effec ts o f a cid ra in a re much g rea ter.
Key Messages
The ultima te tes t of ma ns c onsc ience
may be his willingness to sacrifice
so mething toda y for future g enera tions
whose words of thanks will not be
heard.
- Gaylord Nelson, former governor ofWisco nsin, founde r of Earth Da y
Let every individual and institution now thinkand act as a responsible trustee of Earth, seekingchoices in ecology, economics and ethics that willprovide a sustainable future, eliminate pollution,poverty and violenc e, a w a ken the wonder of life a ndfoste r pea ce ful prog res s in the human a dventure.
John McConn ell, founde r of Interna tiona l Earth Da y
http: / /www.dec.ny.gov/ images/a ir_ images/acidra in.g if
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P erched on the mounta ins to the north
of the Kathmandu Valley is Helambu,
a land famous for its red apples.
Kanchha remembers it vividly how hea nd his three s isters w ould harvest the
a pples a nd s ell it in the villa g e the s a me
day just to bring food in the familys
tab le. B ut this wa s long a go; the apple
farming has been slowly decreasing.
An unknown disease has destroyed
the apple farming. B uckw hea t, potato ,
pumpkin crops still continue to flourish on the terraced fields, supporting life in the
ce ntra l Hima la ya n S herpa co untry.
Kanchhas family relied on agriculture and they decided to leave their village for
greener pastures in Kathmandu. On their way there, Kanchha has observed signs
of c lima te c ha nge e veryw here. The Hima la ya n gla ciers a re s low ly melting a s the
snow line shifts highe r; indig enous peo ple a long the wa y expres sed their w orry abo ut
the a rrival of new bug a nd pla nt spec ies in the highla nds ; flood s a nd la nds lides w ere
co mmon a nd trigg ered by unpredicta ble rains. He picked up a roc k that he had never
se en before, bec a use it had bee n buried under the thick snow -co ver.
As they a pproa ched the city, Ka nchha sa w a bla nket of g ra y pollution c overing the
buildings a nd hous es below. Kathma ndu city res ides in a bo w l sha pe va lley, a nd thisprevents the escape of industrial and vehicle fumes.
Kanc hha s fa ther immed ia tely found a job in a brick kiln fa cto ry not very far from the
c ity. Thes e kilns produc e highly conce ntra ted a mounts of fine pa rticula te ma tter,
which interact with other industrial and vehicle fumes over Kathmandu. Brick
kilns use coal as their main fuel source, and this contributes to the air pollution in
Kathmandu by pumping considerable quantities of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and other
toxic s ubs tanc es into the atmos phere. After a few mo nths, Kanc hhas father sta rted
to c ough. The money tha t they have s a ved from fa rming b a ck in Hela mbu ha s to be
spent on few medications to cure his fathers respiratory problems. Over the time,his father could not fully recover due to the prolonged exposure to toxic substances
from the brick kiln fa c tory.
Story Page:The Story of Kanncha
5LESSON
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One day, Kanchha and his three sisters
were roaming around visiting some
temples and monuments in the city.
Kanchha had heard about them before
and was overwhelmed with the intricate
des igns of the temples in Durba r Sq uare.
The s q ua re teems w ith c olorful life.
Vendors sell vegetables, flutes, and
other crafts around the site. However,
he noticed that some woodcarvings,
statues, and architecture in the area had
not been maintained and some were
destroyed. Locals in the area mentioned that this was one of the effects of the
cha nging clima te.
Now , Ka nchha is no t sure w hy this is ha ppening. He w a nts to d o s omething a bo ut it
but is not certain how to start it.
Procedures
1. Rea d The S tory of Ka nncha found on the S tory pa ge .
2. Ask the students to ide ntify key environme nta l problems that Ka nchha ha s
seen or experienced in the Humla region and on his way to the city.
3. Ask the students to ide ntify key environme nta l problems that Ka nchha ha s
seen or experienced in Kathmandu City.
4. Encoura g e disc uss ion of these ide ntified environme nta l problems foc using
on the ca uses a nd how it impa cts the people living there.
5. Ask the s tudents how they ca n c ontribute so lutions to the problems.
7. C a ll ea ch s tudent a nd a sk him/her w ha t is w rong in this picture (Referring to
the first picture).
8. Encoura g e the s tudent to provide expla na tion for ea ch of the picture.
9. C a ll other student for a nd do the s a me proce dure until a ll pictures a re
expla ined b y the students .
10. Bring the class into a discussion on the sources and effects of air pollution
a nd the preventive mea sures on ho w to reduce it.
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Original image lifted from Energy and The Environment, Nevada Environmental Educational
Network newsletter, 1992
S now melting trigg ers
glac ia l la ke floo ding
Acid rain affects temples
and sta tues
Contributes to S MOG
affecting visibility
Hela mbu Reg ion
Emits sulfur
dioxide a nd o ther
toxic substances
B rick Kiln Fa c tories
Can you help Kanchha identify some of the environmental problems that he hasexperienced? Can you help him identify solutions to these problems?
Ide ntified P roblems Example of Impa ctsS ugg es ted Actions/S olutions for the identified
problems and subsequent impacts
Students Working Sheet
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Referenceshttp ://w w w .ekantipur.co m/2009/11/21/ope d/cha ng ing -la ndsca pes/303236/
http://w w w .w orld-wea ther-trave llers-guide .c om/a ir-po llution-in-ka thma ndu.html#b rick
dougsa mu.wordpress.com/?s = wa ter
http://w w w .i-hea rt-g od .c om/ima g es /ea rth%20ca rtoon%20draw ing .jpg
Action Day Tips!
S kip the pa per or pla stic a t the grocery store
There a re ma ny reusa ble s hopping b a gs a vaila ble, a nd they a re even
a va ila ble in fun colors, pa tterns, or w ith fun sa yings on them . There a re
reusa ble ba g s tha t fold up into tiny little pa cka g es , ma king it ea s ier tha n ever
to pop them in your purse or pocket and take them with you wherever you
go . Keep a supply in your ba g s o tha t even w hen you make an unexpected
sto p a t the sto re, you dont have to use pa per or pla stic.
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Background Summary
Breathing clean air is important to maintain our health.Thousa nds of us live in areas w here the air is s ometimes
co nsidered unhea lthy to brea the beca use it is polluted. One
common a ir pollutant is ground-level ozone. The effec ts of
ground-level ozone pollution are different than the effects
of the ozone layer high up in the atmosphere, which helps
protect us from receiving too much of the suns ultraviolet
radiation. At ground level, ozone can cause breathing
difficulties, aggravate lung diseases, such as asthma,
and may cause permanent lung damage. An easy way toremember the different types of ozone is: Good up high,
bad nearby. Ground-level ozone pollution is formed when
certa in pollutants, know n a s precursors, a re relea sed from
vehicles , industries , a nd pow er pla nts, a nd in the presence
of sunlight a nd hea t rea ct tog ether to form ozone.
Another common air pollutant is particle pollution,
which can cause breathing diffi culties, aggravate heart
disea se a s w ell a s lung d isea se, a nd may c a use chronic
bronchitis or reduced lung function in children. Particlepollution consists of tiny particles of dust, dirt, smoke,
a nd liq uid droplets that co ntain c hemica ls.
In this lesson, students first read background materials
about the health impacts of air pollution, followed by a
teacher-led discussion. Students then role-play realistic
case studies, as patients with health symptoms and
their family me mbe rs . The res t o f the c la s s interview s the
patient and family members to try to determine which
a ir pollutant ma y ha ve ca used the symptoms . The cla ssthen discusses what they can do to protect their health
w hen a ir qua lity is poo r.
Diagnose the SymptomsThis activity will run for
1 hour
6LESSON
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Materials
B a ckg round Re a ding : Wha t Are the Hea lth Impa cts of Air
P ollution? (one for ea ch s tudent)
P ollutants Cha rt: S ources a nd Effects of Air P ollutants
(one for ea ch s tudent)
G roup Ta sk C a rds (one s et for eac h of three g roups; cutto ca rd s ize be fore distributing)
S ymptoms S cena rios A, B , a nd C (a different sc ena rio for
each of the three groups)
S tudent Worksheet: Which P ollutant? (one for ea c h
student)
Procedures
1. Distribute a mong the students the B a ckground Rea ding ma teria l a nd the
P ollutants Cha rt a nd g ive them 5 minutes to read .
2. Hold a b rief cla s s disc uss ion of the rea ding mate ria ls . Ask them if they alrea dy
knew about the health effects of air pollution discussed in the Background
Reading and the Pollutants Chart? Were you surprised at any of these health
effects? Have you or anyo ne youve know n experienced a ny of thes e effects
3. S elect 12 students a nd divide them into three g roups o f four students e a ch for
role-playing.
4. Distribute materia ls to the groups and others to the cla ss , as indica ted:
To the three groups of role-pla ying s tudents :S ymptoms Sc enario
Image liftedfrom: npte l.iitm. a c. in/... /Mod ule3/3a .htm
Learning Objectives
Students will learn how to:
Identify so me of the hea lth s ymptomsassociated with specific air pollutants (ozone
and particle pollution).
Ide ntify preventive measures tha t peo ple ca n
ta ke to protec t their hea lth.
Understa nd which seg ments of the popula tion
are most at risk from air pollution.
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Hand out S cena rio A to one g roup, Sc enario B to a sec ond g roup, and
S ce na rio C to the third g roup. G ive the role-pla ying g roups the P olluta nts
C hart and S tudent Worksheet s o they ha ve the sa me informa tion a s the
res t of the cla ss .
To the res t of the c la s s, distribute the S tudent Workshe et: Which P ollutant?
5. Expla in the stude nts in the three role-pla ying g roups tha t ea c h member of
their group will choose and assume a specific responsibility, as defined on
the G roup Ta s k Ca rds , a nd w ill present their S ce na rio to the c la s s. Expla in
that one pa tient a nd o ne fa mily membe r (or, s eco nd pa tient) from ea ch
group will introduce themselves to the class based on the information in
their Symptoms Scenario. Another group member will act as class monitor,
maintaining order during questions and answers; and another wil l act as
scribe, wri t ing answers on the board. Each of the cards describes the tasks
in mo re de ta il.
6. G ive the groups time to prepa re (5 to 10 minutes), a llow ing them to b riefly rea d a nd
disc uss their Symptoms S cena rio a nd G roup Ta sk Ca rds a mongst themselves to
prepa re for their prese nta tions , w hile the rest o f the cla s s c ontinues to review the
Background Reading and Pollutants Chart materials.
7. Tell s tudents in the aud ienc e that they a re go ing to be do cto rs trying to
determine the pollutant most likely associated with or causing the symptoms
prese nted. Tell them to lis ten c a refully to ea ch o f the three prese nta tions a nd
ma ke do cto rs no tes on S tudent Workshe et: Which P ollutant? As they liste n. Tell
them they will be asking the patient and family member in each group questions
to help the cla ss co me up with answ ers.
8. Have the first group pres ent its S ymptoms S cena rio to the cla ss . Ass ist the group
as needed.
9. After the pres entation, tell the res t of the cla ss to go a hea d a nd a sk do cto r
q ues tions to try to d etermine pos s ible ca use s o f the symptoms . Tell them they
ca n use their Stud ent Worksheet: Which P ollutant? The P ollutants C ha rt a nd the
ba ckground read ing a s g uides . Ha ve the pres enters respond . Ass ist the cla ss a s
needed in asking targeted questions to obtain pertinent information included in
the S ymptoms S cena rios.
10. Eac h pres enter sho uld res pond a s b es t as they ca n from their a ss igned S ce narios .
Other members of their group (e.g., family member, class monitor, and scribe)
ca n help them a nsw er questions.11. After a reasonable amount of time questioning the Scenario presenter group,
have the class as a whole (presenting group, other groups, and audience)
together continue to try to determine the pollutant associated with or causing
the symptoms, as well as identify health prevention measures, with teacher
guidance-but dont tell students yet which pollutant it is or possible preventive
measures.
12. Disc oura ge students from a rriving a t a nsw ers too q uickly. Enco ura ge q uestions
a bo ut other as pec ts of the pa tients life (e.g., ciga rette s moking) that c ould a lso
be a n influence . Inform stude nts tha t even w hen a ir pollution is a prima ry fa cto r,
ma ny o ther fa c tors c a n s till influence our hea lth.
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13. Using Tea cher Answ er Sheet : Which P ollutants? , sha re a nd d isc uss the a nsw ers
w ith the c la s s , including the po llutant mos t likely a s soc ia ted w ith or res pons ible
for ea ch groups symp toms/ illness , and preca utions tha t people ca n ta ke to
protect their health.
14. Repeat Steps 8 through 13 with each of the other two groups. Each group is
given 10 minutes each in presenting their Symptom Scenario and answering
questions from students.
Symptoms Scenario A
Patient:Allay (if man) or Pabitra (if woman)Family Member: Ankur (cousin)
Patient- Use this information to introduce yourself and your family member to theclass:
My name is Allay (or Pabitra). I used to be a runner years ago. I stopped for a few
years, but took it up again last year. Lately Ive been feeling short of breath in the
midd le o f my run. This is my c ous in Ankur, w ho is a lso my roo mma te. Hell tell you
tha t Im a pretty se rious runner.
Now , a sk the cla ss to a sk you questions.
Patient and Family M ember - Use this information to a nsw er cla ss q uestions a bo ut thepatient:
34 yea rs old
Lives a nd wo rks in Lalitpur
Works a s a co mputer prog ra mmer
Works with a sm a ll, inde pend ent c ompa ny
The office b uild ing he w orks in is w ell-ventila ted
Running is a n importa nt perso na l interest
Other hob bies include hiking a nd surfing the Net
S moked from a ge 14 to 16, but I q uit when I go t sma rt enough to know
better
Roo mma te smo kes, but only outside , so Alla y is not brea thing Ankurs
smoke Ra n pretty reg ula rly from a ge 20 to a round a ge 30
Session Materials
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S tarted running a ga in la st yea r, in Decemb er
Ra n in the ea rly morning, a bo ut 6:00 to 6:30 a.m ., a ll w inter
In April, s ta rted w orking a n e a rly s che dule a nd running a fter w ork,
a round 2:00 pm La s t w inter, felt refres hed a nd rea lly up a fter running, just like yea rs a g o
Has b een running very regula rly and is c onfide nt hes in good s ha pe
La tely ha s bee n feeling s hort of breath ha lfwa y through a run
He also notices that he seems to cough and needs to spit while running,
w hich d idnt ha ppen b efore
Has never ha d a ny lung or respira tory prob lems in the pa s t
Cous in Ankur w ill vouch tha t Alla y ha s be en running a s reg ula rly a s he s a ys
five or six times a w eek, for over a yea rso this c a nt be ha ppening b eca use
hes in poor sha pe.
Symptoms Scenario B
Patient:Isw a r Humag a iFamily Member:Emma Humag a i (his w ife)
Patient - Us e this informa tion to introd uce yourself:
My name is Iswa r Humaga i. I have been ha ving c hest pa in and ches t tightness for the
last two or three months. Since these problems didnt seem to be going away, I went
to see my doctor last week. She told me that I have arrhythmia, which is an irregularheartbeat. I had a minor heart attack when I was 56, but have felt pretty good since
then.
Now , as k the cla ss to a sk you q uestions.
Patient and Family Mem ber - Use this informa tion to a nsw er cla ss q uestions a bo utthe patient:
Isw a r is 62 yea rs o ld
He retired ea rly, a t ag e 50 Never smoked c iga rettes o r a nything
Us ed to w ork for the c ity a s a tec hnician insta lling a nd repa iring tra ffic lights .
They live in Puta lis a da k beca use they like living nea r their children a nd
grandchildren
Love kids
Every Monda y throug h Frida y, ever since retiring, Isw a r volunteers a s a s cho ol
cross ing g uard a t a busy interse ction, helping kids ge t a cross the street
He does this for an elementary school and a middle school, that start at two
different times , so hes o ut there almos t two hours ea rly ea ch mo rning a nd tw o
hours each afternoon Likes to w ea r w hite s hirts, e ven though they a lw a ys loo k rea lly dirty a fter do ing
the crossing guard work
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They live in a n a pa rtment nea r the sa me intersec tion
S evera l fac tories are nea rby
His hob bies include bo w ling, go ing to grand childrens soc cer ga mes ,
ba bys itting for the younges t grand da ughter, a nd s taying in clos e touch w ithw orld new s
Not rea lly into exerc ise or w orking out
Isw a r a nd Emma ta ke a w a lk a round the neighb orhood a c ouple of times
each week, usually right after he finishes crossing guard duty
Symptoms Scenario C
Patient:Anamul Shrestra Second Patient:Dot S hres tra
Patient:Us e this information to introd uce yourselves :My name is Anamul Shrestra and this is my wife Dot. We live in Chaunni. We
came back from our afternoon walk feeling just awful.
Now , as k the cla ss to a sk you questions.
Patient and Second Patient:Use this informa tion to a nsw er cla ss q uestions a bo utthe pa tients:
Hes 58 yea rs old
S hes 48 yea rs old
They ta ke a b risk wa lk tog ether almos t every da y, in mid-a fternoon
Us ua lly wa lk tw o miles , a long river, whe re its q uiet a nd theres no tra ffic
Ana mul interests include c oo king, w oo dw orking, a nd fishing Dots interests inc lude pa inting a nd pla ying drums with a ja zz ba nd
Tod a y wa s a bea utiful sunny da y a nd the first really hot da y of spring
Tod a y they took a different route than usua l
The tra ffic w a s b a cked up for se vera l bloc ks on one roa d, a nd they were
curious w hy, so they dec ided to turn up tha t roa d a nd s ee for thems elves
Ended up sitting b y the roa d for an hour in the midd le of the w a lk, ta lking
with a friend who was stuck in the giant traffic jam
Nea r the end of the wa lk, both Anamul a nd Dot sta rted w heezing a nd
coughing
Dot wa s feeling some nausea
Ana mul felt like his a s thma w a s a c ting up for the first time in yea rs
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GROUP TASK CARDS
GROUP TASK CARD
PATIENT
You will play the role of the primary
character described on the Symptom
S ce nario ca rd. Using informa tion o n the
card, you will introduce yourself to the
class and then answer questions from
them.
A member of your family will help you
answer questions. After some time
has passed, if you feel that there is
important information on your Scenario
card that has not been covered by the
q uestions , you ma y de cide to volunteer
tha t informa tion.
GROUP TASK CARD FAMILY MEMBER (or SECOND
PATIENT)
You will play the role of someone in the
pa tients fa mily. The p a tient w ill introduce
you to the class, using information on
the Scenario card. You will then help
the patient answer questions from the
class.
If questions are asked which are not
a nsw ered on the S ce nario c a rd, you w ill
consult with the patient about how to
bes t ans w er the ques tions (in a w a y that
would not alter the conclusion reached
by the c la ss ).
GROUP TASK CARD
SCRIBE
You are responsible for writing
information on the board as the patient
and his or her family member answer
q uestions from the cla ss .
Making a list of this information will
make it easier for the class to focus on
what they know so far, choose good
questions to ask next, and determinethe pollutant that is associated with or
causing the patients symptoms.
GROUP TASK CARD
CLASS MONITOR
It is your res po ns ib ility to ma inta in order
and designate whose turn it is to ask a
question.
Call on those with their hand raised so
that they can a sk q uestions o ne a t a time
a nd everyone ca n hear the ans wers.
You will have to pace the questions sothat the Scribe has time to write the
a nswe rs on the boa rd.
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Handout
Background Reading: What are the Health Impacts of Air Pollution?
Air Pollution and Our Health
Every minute of every day, we breathe six to ten liters of air. If the air carries unhealthy
levels of pollutants, those pollutants can enter our bodies and affect us in many ways.
Thousa nds of us live where the a ir is often unhea lthy to b reathe . A la rge number of people
a re a ffected lea ding to the hea lth impa cts o f a ir pollution being c os tly in the long run.
Air pollution is es pec ia lly ha rmful to the very young
and old. Infants and children are at risk because
their lungs are not fully developed until they areabout 18 years old and because they breathe
fas ter. The elde rly a re a t risk be ca use the y a re
more likely to have undiagnosed heart or lung
disease.
Since the respiratory system comes in direct
contact with the air we breathe, it is the body
sys tem most likely to be a ffec ted by a ir pollutants.
People who already have asthma, emphysema, or
other respiratory conditions, as well as people withheart or other circulatory problems, are especially
susc eptible to the e ffects of a ir pollution.
Even hea lthy peo ple c a n be a ffected by a ir pollution. Air pollution c a n a ffect a nyone.
Hea lthy teenag ers, yo ung a dults, a nd s trong a thletes ca n suffer neg a tive effec ts from
hig h po llution levels , e spec ia lly w hen e xerc is ing outd oo rs .
P eople w ho live in hea vily po lluted a rea s a re expo sed to not just one po llutant b ut to
ma ny pollutants. And, the c onc entration o f ea ch po llutant cha nge s d uring the d a y. All
of this makes it difficult to separate out the effects of each pollutant.In addition, how susceptible people are to the effects of air pollutants can vary
w ide ly. Think a bo ut a roo mful of hea lthy peo ple w ho a re a ll exposed to the s a me
co ld virus. S ome w ill develop a ba d c old, o thers a mild c old, a nd o thers no c old a t
a ll. In a s imila r w a y, susc eptibility to po llutants ca n vary grea tly even a mong a g roup
of healthy individuals.
Finally, there are always many influences on our health. If you develop symptoms
tha t mig ht be ca use d b y a ir pollution, its often d iffic ult to b e s ure tha t pollution w a s
the ca use. J ust a s w ith other hea lth prob lems , there a re likely to b e s evera l fac tors
affecting your health.
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How Much Do We Know?
Although the part of our bodies most affected by air pollution is the respiratory
system, the circulatory system can also be affected. Exposure to unhealthy levels
of air pollutants can result in low oxygen levels in red blood cells, abnormal heart
rhythms, a nd increas ed risks o f blood clots a nd na rrow ing o f blood vess els. These
effects can lead to worsening of heart diseases such as heart failure and increased
risks of hea rt a ttac ks or strokes .
The P ollutants C ha rt: S ources a nd Effec ts o f Air P ollutants s umma rize the s ources
and health effects of criteria air pollutants. When we inhale particle pollution
(dust, soot, dirt, and liquid droplets, which may or may not be visible), tiny bits
of foreign ma tter ca n tra vel de ep into the lungs w here they b ec ome lodg ed in the
a lveoli, w hich a re s ma ll ba lloo n-like s a cs in w hich oxyg en exc ha nge oc c urs . This
is where carbon dioxide from the blood is exchanged for oxygen from the air.
S ome p a rtic les ca n be exha led o r moved out by the c ilia ; other particles ma y sink
into unde rlying tis s ue or move into the blood s trea m. Hea lth effects from pa rticles
range from coughing and aggravated asthma to chronic bronchit is and even
premature death. For people with heart disease, exposure to particle pollution
can cause serious problems in a short period of timeeven heart attackswith
no w a rning signs .
Ozone pollution, which is invisible, can
irritate the respiratory system, reduce lung
function, inflame and damage the lining of
the lungs a nd the c ilia , a nd c a use structura l
damage of the lungs. Ozone pollution can
also reduce the number and functioning
ability of bacteria-destroying white blood
ce lls. Ozone po llution ca n ag grava te a sthma
and increase peoples susceptibility to
respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and
bronchitis. Symptoms to watch for when
ozone is in the air include coughing, pain
when taking a deep breath, and breathing
difficulties, especially when active or
exercising outdoors. But ozone da mag e ca n
a lso oc cur without any noticea ble s igns . For
some people, several months of repeated
expos ure to ozo ne ca n perma nently da ma ge the lungs. It is importa nt to know that
ozo ne c a n ha ve two very different effects, d epending on w here it is in the a tmosp here.
G oo d oz one o cc urs na tura lly high up in the atmo sphere (the stra tos phere), whe re it
helps protec t us from rec eiving to o muc h of the suns ha rmful ultra violet ra ys . B a d
ozone at ground level is air pollution, as we have been discussing, and can result
in health and environmental problems. An easy way to remember the difference is:
Ozone: goo d up high, ba d nea rby.
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Polluta
nt
Sources
PossibleEffectsonHumans
OtherEffects
Comments
Particle
Pollution
(alsoc
alled
Particulate
Matteror
PM)
Dust
MotorVehicles
Exhaust
Factories
BurningofCoalfor
Power
NaturalSources:
forestfiresand
volcanoes
Irritatesnoseandthroat
Difficultandpainfulbreathing
Coughing,chesttightne
ss
ReducesLungfunction
Lowersresistanceto
respiratoryinfection
Aggravatesasthmaand
existinglungandheart
diseases
Chronicbronchitisand
reduced
lungfunctioninchildren
(long
termexposure
Prematuredeath
Reducesvisibility
Discolorsbuildings,
statuesandpainted
surfaces
Interfereswith
photosynthesis,
may
damagecrops
Mayalterclimat
e
75%f
rommotorvehicles
Usuallyreferstoparticles
lessthan10or
2.5
microns(1micron=
1/1,000,000of
ameter
Particlepollutionis
usuallyworseinwinter,
ornearbusyro
adsor
factories.
Ground
Level
Ozone
Formedwhen
NitrogenOxides
(NOx)andVolatile
OrganicChemicals
(VOCs)reactin
heatandsunlight.
Sourcesof
NOxandVOCs
includevehicle
exhaust,industrial
emissions,gasoline
vaporsand
chemicalsolvents.
Coughing,painwithdeep
breathingandshortnessof
breath
Nausea
Irritatesrespiratorysystem,
chesttightness
Damageslungtissue
Reduceslungfunction
Aggravatesexistinglung
conditionincludingasth
ma
StructuralChanges(lon
gterm
exposure)
Prematuredeaths
Deterioratesrub
ber,
paintsandsomebuilding
materials
Damagesfruitsand
seeds
Injurescropsan
dtrees
Affectswholeecosystem
byalteringwildlifehabitat
Ozonepollutionisoften
worseinwarmerweather,
inlateafternoonsa
ndearly
evenings.Ozoneis
goodup
highintheupperatmosphere
whereithelpstoprotectus
fromtoomuchofthesuns
harmfulultravioletr
ays.
Ozoneisbadatgro
undlevel
whereitcanresultinhealth
andenvironmental
problems.
Remember,Ozone:goodup
high,
badnearby.
PollutantsChart:SourcesandEffectsofPollutants
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Polluta
nt
Sources
P
ossibleEffectsonHumans
OtherEffects
Comments
Carbon
Monoxide
Construction
Equipment
MotorVehicles
Exhaust
ForestFires
Industrial
Process
Reducingoxygendelivery
to
thebodysorgans(likethe
heartandbrain)andtissue
s.
Visionproblems
Reducedabilitytoworkor
learn
Reducedmanualdexterity
,and
difficultyperformingcomp
lex
tasks.
Atextremelyhighlevels,C
O
ispoisonousandcancaus
e
death.
COcontributestothe
formationofsmog
ground-levelozone
,
whichcantriggers
erious
respiratoryproblem
s.
CarbonMonoxide
(CO)
isalethalpoisonthatis
producedwhenfuelssuch
asgasolineareburned.
BecauseCOisco
lorless,
tasteless,odorles
sandnon-
irritating,itcanov
ercome
anexposedperso
nwithout
warning.
Nitrogen
Oxides
Agriculturalsoil
Animalmanure
Wastewater
treatment
Humansewage
Mobileand
Stationary
sourceoffossil
fuelcombustion
Adverserespiratoryeffects
includingairwayinflammation
inhealthypeopleandincreased
respiratorysymptomsinpeople
withasthma.
SmalllevelsofNOxcanca
use
nausea,irritatedeyesand/or
nose,fluidforminginlungsand
shortnessofbreath
Helpsformacidrain
Itcontributestoglobal
warming
Ithampersthegrowthof
plants
NOxcanformwith
other
pollutantstoformtoxic
chemicals
Componentingro
und-level
ozoneandsmog
Combineswithparticlesto
reducevisibility
Isagreenhouseg
asthat
contributestoglo
bal
warmingandclim
ate
change
8/10/2019 Air Pollution Teaching Toolkit
54/7444 Air P ollution Tea ching Toolkit
Polluta
nt
Sources
P
ossibleEffectsonHumans
OtherEffects
Comments
Sulfur
Dioxid
e
Fossilfuel
combustionat
powerplants
(66%)and
otherindustrial
facilities(29%).
Industrial
processessuch
asextracting
metalfromore,
andtheburning
ofhighsulfur
containingfuels
bylocomotives,
largeships,
andnon-road
equipment.
Irritatesthenose,throat,a
nd
airwaystocausecoughing
,
wheezing,shortnessofbreath,
oratightfeelingaroundth
e
chest.
Sulfurdioxidedissolves
easilyinwaterto
formsulfuricacid.
Sulfuricacidisam
ajor
componentofacid
rain.
Thisdamageforestsand
crops,changetheacidity
ofsoils,andmake
lakes
andstreamsacidic
and
unsuitableforfish.
Sulfurdioxidealso
contributestothe
decay
ofbuildingmaterials
andpaints,includ
ing
monumentsandstatues.
Lead
Leadbased
Paint
Dust
DrinkingWater
Smeltingplants
Exhaust
emissionsfrom
leaddrivencars
Stomachpainandvomiting,
diarrhea,andblackstools.
Severeexposurecancaus
e
nervoussystemdamage,with
symptomssuchasintoxication,
coma,respiratoryarrest,a
nd
evendeath.
Leadaccumulates
in
thebodiesofwater
organismsandsoil
organisms.Leadingto
poisoning.
Leadisaparticularly
dangerouschemical,
asitcanaccumulatein
individualorganism
s,
but
alsoinentirefoodchains.
Onceleadenters
thebody
itaffectstheperip
heraland
centralnervoussystem
(PNS,
CNS),bloodcells,
metabolismofvitamin
Dandcalcium,an
d
reproductivetoxic
ity.The
nervoussystems
eemsto
bethemostsensitiveto
leadpoisoning.
8/10/2019 Air Pollution Teaching Toolkit
55/7445Air P ollution Tea ching Toolkit
Student Worksheet: Which Pollutant?
Refer to the B a ckground Rea ding: Wha t Are the Hea lth Impa cts of Air Pollution?
a nd the P ollutants C hart: So urce s a nd Effects o f Air P ollutants a s need ed a s yo utry to determine the following information about the patients in each group.
Enter your answers for each patient below during group presentations and
afterwards during class question and answer sessions. You will be seeking
information about:
S ymptomsNote key symptoms or beha viors in the pa tient.
P ollutant mos t likely to be a ss oc ia ted w ith or ca using s ymptoms -Note the
pollutant mos t likely to b e a ss oc ia ted w ith or ca use thes e s ymptoms .
Health P rec a utions Note preca utions that c ould ha ve bee n taken to preventor de crea se the likelihoo d of the problem a ris ing.
1. Allay (or Prabitra) (young adult runner)
Symptoms:
Pollutant most likely to be associated w ith or causing symp toms:
Health Precautions:
2. Iswar Humagai (crossing guard)
Symptoms:
Pollutant most likely to be associated w ith or causing symp toms:
Health Precautions:
3. Anamul and Dot Shrestra (middle-aged w alkers)
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