How air pollution attacks the various organs of our body?

How air pollution attacks the various organs of our body?

Our body has its own defense system to fight against harmful and undesirable elements when they come in contact with our body. The body has its own fight or flight mechanism that engages quickly when danger is near. However, air pollution is the danger that can break down the body’s defenses or at least weaken our defense system. Let us have a look at the various ways in which the air pollution attacks our body:

The Nose, Mouth and Throat
The major chunk of air pollutants enter our body through nose and as our nose traps and holds these pollutants, they accumulate in the nose can and cause problems in the nose and sinuses or be absorbed in mucus membranes, resulting in a number of harmful effects on the body.

The Skin

Our skin is the organ most exposed to air and exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation is closely associated with the development of skin cancers. Chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) deplete the ozone layer allowing harmful amounts of UVB to penetrate to the earth’s surface which lead to skin cancer.

The Blood
When air pollutants enter our blood stream they distribute their harmful effects throughout the body. Some of the air pollutants include benzene, lead, mercury, carbon monoxide, volatile nitrites, pesticides and herbicides, and others. All of these have been found to lead to harmful effects on the blood as well as the system that is involved in the formation of blood including: blood cells, bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes and the net-like system of cells that clean out foreign particles and infectious microorganisms.

The Lungs
One of the most harmful and obvious effect of air pollution is respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Oxidants air pollutants like ground-level ozone, nitrogen oxide and airborne particles lead to cell damage causing inflammation and making cells more vulnerable to cancer. Severe inflammation can cause significant damage including scarring of lung tissue, called fibrosis, and abnormal thickening. These disorders make breathing more difficult.

Inhalation of particulate matter that is 2.5 microns in diameter and smaller may injure the deeper, smaller thin-walled bronchi-oles where the body begins to extract oxygen from air. Exposure to toxic chemicals from incinerators, power plants, mining operations and other industrial facilities also have been linked to lung cancer.