Even healthy people can experience health impacts from polluted air including respiratory irritation or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. Your actual risk of adverse effects depends on your current health status, the pollutant type and concentration, and the length of your exposure to the polluted air.
High air pollution levels can cause immediate health problems including:
Aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness
Added stress to heart and lungs, which must work harder to supply the body with oxygen
Damaged cells in the respiratory system
Long-term exposure to polluted air can have permanent health effects such as:
Accelerated aging of the lungs
Loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function
Development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer
Shortened life span
Those most susceptible to severe health problems from air pollution are:
Individuals with heart disease, coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure
Individuals with lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Pregnant women
Outdoor workers
Older adults and the elderly
Children under age 14
Athletes who exercise vigorously outdoors
People in these groups may experience health impacts at lower air pollution exposure levels, or their health effects may be of greater intensity.