Scientists 'read' the ash from the Icelandic volcano 2 years after its eruption

the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull reached the Iberian Peninsula and brought airports to a halt all over Europe. At the time, scientists followed its paths using satellites, laser detectors, sun photometers and other instruments. Two years later they have now presented the results and models that will help to prevent the consequences of such natural phenomena.
The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull in the south of Iceland began on the 20 March, 2010. On the 14 April it began to emit a cloud of ash that moved towards Northern and Central Europe, resulting in the closure of airspace. Hundreds of planes and millions of passengers were grounded.

Air pollution linked to diabetes and hypertension in African-American women

The incidence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension increases with cumulative levels of exposure to nitrogen oxides, according to a new study led by researchers from the Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC) at Boston University. The study, which appears online in the journal Circulation, was led by Patricia Coogan, D.Sc., associate professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health and the SEC.
While it is well established that air pollution increases the risks of acute cardiovascular events such as stroke and myocardial infarction, it is not known whether exposure increases the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. However, emerging findings from laboratory and clinical studies suggest that air pollution may predispose to both conditions.

Air pollution exposure increases risk of severe COPD

Long term exposure to low-level air pollution may increase the risk of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to researcher s in Denmark. While acute exposure of several days to high level air pollution was known to be a risk factor for exacerbation in pre-existing COPD, until now there had been no studies linking long-term air pollution exposure to the development or progression of the disease.
The research was published online ahead of the print edition of the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
"Our findings have significance on a number of levels," said lead researcher on the study, Zorana Andersen, Ph.D., post doctoral fellow at the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology of the Danish Cancer Society in Copenhagen. "Patients, primary care physicians, pulmonologists and public health officials should all take not of our findings."

National study finds strong link between diabetes and air pollution

A national epidemiologic study finds a strong, consistent correlation between adult diabetes and particulate air pollution that persists after adjustment for other risk factors like obesity and ethnicity, report researchers from Children's Hospital Boston. The relationship was seen even at exposure levels below the current EPA safety limit.
The report, published in the October issue of Diabetes Care, is among the first large-scale population-based studies to link diabetes prevalence with air pollution. It is consistent with prior laboratory studies finding an increase in insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes, in obese mice exposed to particulates, and an increase in markers of inflammation (which may contribute to insulin resistance) in both the mice and obese diabetic patients after particulate exposure.

Two million people a year killed by air pollution

According to new research examined by the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution in cities around the world causes roughly 2 million premature deaths each year.

The WHO warned that in order for some cities to meet its recommendations, levels of pollution would need to be cut by as much as three fold. Because many countries currently lack any air pollution standards and many countries are still developing, the WHO acknowledged its guidelines could be difficult to follow.

Traffic Pollution could cause Asthma

Traffic pollution could cause asthma in children, rather than simply trigger attacks.Scientists at the University of California at Davis studied the effect of repeated exposure to ozone - a constituent of traffic smog - on rhesus monkeys.They found that after living in an environment described as "similar to Mexico City" for only a few months, the young animals had developed symptoms of borderline asthma.These included reduced lung capacity, and an apparently increased sensitivity to the dust mite allergen, wheezing when exposed to it for short periods.Monkeys exposed on a regular basis to both ozone and dust mite allergen had more severe reactions, including decreased blood oxygen levels.

Traffic pollution problem in Dhaka city

In Dhaka city the daily total emissions of NOx, HC, CO, PM, and SOx are estimated whish is equivalent to: 42, 39, 314, 14, and 42 tons/day, respectively. Daily average concentration of NOx (NO2, NO) were measured at 28 street locations in Dhaka city during November, 1996.
Carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), photochemical oxidants e.g., ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and lead (Pb) are the pollutant species. In spite of great improvements in most developed countries due to reduced use of leaded fuels, highway emissions of lead remain a persistent air quality problem. Recent studies indicate that motor vehicles are also a major or primary source of other toxic air pollutants including 1.3-butadiene, benzene and a number of carcinogens, associated with particulate matter.

Air pollution and its effect on health

Air is 99.9% nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor and inert gases. Air supplies us with oxygen which is essential for our bodies to live.
There are several main types of air pollution

1. Smog

2. Acid rain

3. The greenhouse effect

4."holes" in the ozone layer

Each of these problems has serious implications for our health and well-being as well as for the whole environment.

Another type of air pollution is the presence of particles into the air .Generally this is for the burning of fuel for energy. Diesel smoke is a example of this particulate matter . The particles are very small pieces of matter measuring about 2.5 microns or about .0001 inches.The exhaust from burning fuels in automobiles, homes, and industries is a major source of pollution in the air.

Dhaka city become Poisonous gas chamber

Picture of  Dhaka Street

Dhaka city is turning again into a poisonous gas chamber causing serious threat to public health. According to a media report, pollution of air in the city with toxic particles has exceeded permissible limits in some areas. In some case its exceed the limit of toxic particles used in the gas chamber in Second World war(!).The main toxic particles present in air is led(Pb) ,Carbon monoxide (CO) ,Hydrocarbons (HC),Oxides of nitrogen (NOx), NO2,Diesel emits suspended particulate matter (SPM) which contains shoot. Shoot is responsible for reduction of atmospheric visibility and absorb and carry organic compound to lungs. This particles are dangerous threat to the human life.Air is polluted mainly from exhaust of cars and of course from industries.