Environmental Pollution & Global Warming Explained | Health Effects, Economic Impacts & Greenhouse Gases
Environmental Pollution: Effects on Human Health, Animals, Economy & Global Warming Environmental pollution has become one of the major challenges facing human society. Air pollutants and toxic substances can affect human health, animals, buildings, visibility, sunlight and the environment. At the same time, greenhouse gases contribute to the rise in global temperature. 1. Effects on Human Health Different pollutants can produce serious health problems: Carbon monoxide (CO): CO combines with haemoglobin to form carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb), reducing the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. This can cause headache, dizziness, unconsciousness and, at high exposure, death. Lead (Pb): Long-term exposure may affect the nervous system, blood formation, kidneys and other organs. Radioactive substances: Radioisotopes such as strontium-90 (Sr-90) can accumulate in bones, while iodine-131 (I-131) can affect the thyroid. Air pollution can also aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular p...