Supervisors info:
Ανδρέας Χ. Λάζαρης, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Νικόλαος Καβαντζάς, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Σωτήριος Μάιπας, Δρ. Φυσικός, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Air pollution has been a key issue since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and beyond. Man comes into contact with air every day through inhalation as it is a key process for his survival. Air quality and pollutants present in it, primary or secondary, have significant effects with detrimental effects on both the respiratory system and other human systems. The World Health Organization considers air pollution to be the greatest threat to human health. Specifically, 30% of people who get sick every day and 5% of those who die are related to air pollution.
The escalation of climate change has led to the creation of aerosols (biological, atmospheric and particle), which remain in the atmosphere for days and are transported by regions through various meteorological phenomena (windstorms, storms, dust transport, dust) causing adverse consequences. allergic rhinitis, lung cancer and other cardiovascular and cerebral vascular problems (Chan et al., 2018).
Better waste management, energy production and distribution, and minimizing fuel consumption significantly reduce air pollution and significantly improve air quality both indoors and outdoors. Gaseous pollutants such as carbon ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), etc., are deposited by respiration in the lungs causing local damage and act as boosters for years of damage such as pre-existing damage, bronchial asthma and others. Particular attention needs to be paid to vulnerable groups such as the elderly with a burdensome history or not, children, people with respiratory problems and pregnant women. Fresh air should be the goal of all of us, not only locally but also globally.
The Anatomy of the Respiratory System (above and below), vessels and nerves enclosed in it, the Breathing Mechanism for a clearer understanding of the entry-dispersion of a pollutant, the concepts of environmental - air pollution and analysis are presented. Also mentioned are the main Diseases of MS as well as the way in which air pollution contributes to their creation.
In conclusion, air pollution as a broad concept is due to the presence of foreign elements or substances at high levels in the atmosphere, which may exist naturally or be caused by human interventions as a detrimental effect on the most valuable asset, human health and the systems that make it up with an increased impact especially on the respiratory system.
