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Knowledge And Awareness Of The Effects Of Air Pollution On The Health Of Motorcycle Riders
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
a.Background to the Study
The land can
be cleaned up before we use it, and purify water before we drink it,
but, except in air-conditioned rooms, we must breathe air as it comes to
us. Automobiles, factories, heating furnaces, power plants, trash
incinerators, each add to the problem, so control is difficult.
(Microsoft Encarta 2009). Air pollution is a major environmental problem
throughout the world. Most air pollution problems thus result from
man’s pattern of energy use and production.
Air quality is affected
by economic activities which introduce pollutants into the atmosphere
that pose threats to human health and other life forms on earth. It
furthermore has the potential to change the climate with unpredictable,
but potentially severe consequences on a local and global scale. Because
large bodies of air cannot be contained, atmospheric pollution can only
be controlled at its source.At present there is no comprehensive
information on air quality or on the levels of emissions entering the
atmosphere from different sources.
However, air pollution is a major
environmental risk to health. By reducing air pollution levels, we can
help countries reduce the global burden of disease from respiratory
infections, heart disease, and lung cancer. The lower the levels of air
pollution in a city, the better respiratory (both long- and short-term),
and cardiovascular health of the population will be.
Apollutant is
the wrong stuff in the wrong place at the wrong time, and especially in
developed nations such as ours, avoiding pollution is not necessarily
easy. The problem is made worse by a loss of ownership of the problem;
by reality gaps between government agencies which must regulate and
monitor on the broader level of pollutant averages over time and local
citizens that are justifiably upset over local episodes; and by
entrenchment in the comfort of our own consumptive lifestyles and by
limited alternatives.
The auto industry and its support enterprises
continue to flourish, while mass transit struggles to survive. Fossil
fuel-based energies overshadow wind, solar and other sources of energy.
Cleaner fuels often remain a novelty. Land use decisions, or the lack of
them, make it difficult for many to walk or bike to work. Numerous
small mechanical devices replace muscle power. Disposable items save us
even more time and work. Food is transported far from where it is grown,
to a region which could supply its own food needs. All of these factors
lead to increased product and energy consumption and have a vast impact
on air quality.
Environmental pollution is the unfavourable
alteration of the environment due to the addition of impurities by man
to constitute danger to either his/her health (ldodo-Umeh, 2010). One of
the major causes of environmental pollution is air pollution. Air
pollution is the additional of air borne substances such as dust, smoke,
soot and sulphurdioxide found in the air that alter the composition of
the atmosphere causing harm to human. Carbon monoxide is the major
pollutant produced from the exhaust of automobile. Nitrogen-monoxide and
Nitrogen dioxide are other gases produced from the motorcycle
(ldodo-Umeh, 2010).
Although transportation is a vital part of the
economy and is essential for everyday activities, it is also a
significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Greenhouse gases
(GHGs) occur naturally in the earth’s atmosphere and help to keep the
planet hospitable to life by trapping some of the sun’s natural heat.
Without this “greenhouse effect,†the earth’s average surface
temperature would be about 33 degrees Celsius cooler than it is
currently. The most important naturally occurring GHGs associated with
this phenomenon are water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane
(CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).
Human activities release GHG
emissions and contribute to increasing concentrations of GHGs in the
atmosphere. CO2 is the predominant GHG emitted by human sources. Like
most GHGs, CO2 is produced both by natural and human activities and can
be removed from the atmosphere through natural processes. However,
increased production of CO2 by human sources has caused total GHG
emissions exceed natural absorption rates, resulting in increased
atmospheric concentrations. Since the beginning of the industrial
revolution, atmospheric concentrations of CO2 have increased by nearly
30 percent, CH4 concentrations have more than doubled, and N2O
concentrations have risen by approximately 15 percent (Browning,2003).
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This study examined the knowledge and awareness of effect of air pollution on the health of motorcycle riders in coker/aguda local council development area. The sample consisted of 110 motorcycle riders in Coker/Aguda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State. Variables studied are knowledge and awareness of the effect of air pollution on health. Knowledge and awareness of effect of air pollution on their health were assessed through a 20 item self developed questionnaire. Data was analyzed ... Continue reading---
