Philadelphia Air Pollution Essay

Philadelphia is one of the largest cities in the United States.

One environmental issue in Philadelphia County is air pollution. So many chemicals are released from cars, factories, power plants, and other industrial buildings. In 2002, Philadelphia County was ranked among the dirtiest ten percent of all countries in the United States due to toxic air pollution (ScoreCard, 2011). This becomes a problem for the people inhabiting the county inhaling the dirty air. Certain chemicals can cause diseases in humans. Also breathing in the dirty air can be detrimental to the lungs.

Air pollution is a serious issue surrounding Philadelphia. As one of the nation’s largest cities, there are many people and buildings that make up the area. The more people

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, as well as others, that trap heat. Greenhouse gases create the greenhouse effect, which is the process of these gases trapping heat in the atmosphere so that Earth’s surface does not get too cold. This is a natural process, but the anthropogenic additions to the amount of greenhouse gases released are causing a problem. (Withgott & Lapasota, 2014). The carbon dioxide gets trapped and ozone and particle pollution occur. Pollution refers to smog, and particle pollution refers to microscopic particles of aerosol floating in the air (Ricci, 2012, 1). Philadelphia “failed miserably” in terms of ozone and particle pollution in the air (Ricci, 2012, 1). A color-coded scale has been created to determine the pollution in the air each day. Philadelphia has seen an average of thirty -four days each year in which orange, high pollution, has been seen. This makes it unbearably difficult to breathe. Philadelphia also averages one “red”, extremely high pollution, day each year (Ricci, 2012). The American Lung Association has become involved because this pollution is effecting people’s lungs and breathing. They are especially concerned about people who suffer from conditions such as asthma and emphysema. Nobody should be breathing this dirty polluted

Case specific deaths between the years of 1973 and 1980 due to air pollution were examined and taken from the National Center for Health Statistics mortality tapes with intent to conclude the positive correlation between air pollution and mortality (Schwartz & Dockery, 1992). Deaths due to other reasons were not included in this examination. A considerable positive correlation was seen between mortality rate and pollution in the air. Total mortality rate increased by 7% with each increase of SO2 in the atmosphere. Cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, and cardiovascular disease were also seen to increase with an increase in pollution (Schwartz & Dockery, 1992). This information is important because it displays correlation between air pollution and deaths. It is significant because it shows that there is a serious problem in the air that residents of Philadelphia breathe each