The Effect Of Particulate Matter On Human Health - 2775 Words

Introduction Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined particulate matter (PM2.5), as an outdoor air pollutant. Also known as air pollution, aerosols, and â€Å"fine† particulate matter, PM2.5 has emerged as one of the most significant environmental and public health concerns over the past several decades. PM2.5 has revealed to hold detrimental affects on human health and is attributable to over 130,0000 deaths annually according to 2005 air quality levels (Hoek et al. 2013; CDC). The processes of economic development, urbanization, energy production, and consumption, and transportation have been the primary driving forces of PM2.5. (EPA; Huang et al, 2014) The term refers to microscopic matter suspended in the Earth’s atmosphere with a diameter of 2.5ÃŽ ¼g or less that can originate from both natural and/or manmade processes (EPA). It is characterized by 5 major components that compromise the mass of the particle: sulfate, nitrate, organic carbon, (OC), elemental carbon (also known as black carbon, BC), and crustal carbon (EPA). Some particles may appear naturally, coming from volcanoes, forest fires, vegetation, and the ocean (EPA). In contrast, particles are also be created by anthropogenic activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and various industrial processes (EPA; Huang et al., 2014). Higher concentrations of the particulate primarily originate from larger sources such as the burning of gasoline in automobiles, oil, diesel and wood (Huang et al.,Show MoreRelatedAir Pollution And Its Effects On Health1647 Words   |  7 Pageshazardous to human health. Air pollution is a complex and abundant mixture of pollutants. T he combination of matter includes particulate matter, chemical substance, biological materials as well as particles that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. 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