|
Move over monster trucks, smart car has arrived New option in refinery expansion Photos: Bike path beaver's back Big West under scrutiny: Take II Small ammonia leak at refinery Sunday Cars damaged by tainted gas sold at 25 local stations Tejon Ranch's historic deal: a win-win? Buying locally-grown produce Earth Day tidbits Bakersfield shows up on carbon map January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 
RSS 2.0    |
|
|
Bad air may cause brain cell damange, study finds
Studies have already found that tiny particulate pollution in Kern's air is bad for your heart and lungs but new research has found it may be bad for the brain, too. The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports that a UC Irvine study found mice exposed to the pollution in Riverside and Los Angeles developed brain inflammation that suggested the cells had been damaged. The changes in the mice's brains was similar to those found in people with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease although it's unclear if the pollution actually causes the disease, Michael Kleinman, the toxicologist who conducted the research, told the Press-Enterprise. Particle pollution occurs when tiny specks of dust, chemicals and soot from vehicles, factories and farms become concentrated in the air. The valley's meteorology and geography helps to trap the pollution. Kern County experiences the same pollution, known as fine particulate matter. Since September, Bakersfield violated the national standard for fine particulates on 63 days, compared to 25 days in Riverside and 23 days in Los Angeles, according to state data. Riverside and Los Angeles, however, experience the pollution year-round while the Central Valley tends to see it only during winter months. The UC Irvine study also confirmed earlier research that showed exposure to particulates puts people at higher risk of heart disease, clogged arteries and reduced heart function. The pollution has also previously been linked to early deaths, asthma attacks and impaired lung development in children. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District recently drafted a plan to bring the valley into compliance with national standards for fine particulate matter by 2014. The plan will be voted on by the district's governing board on April 30.
11 comments from 9 users
1
posted by
Linda_Alvarado
on Mar 19, 2008 at 03:30 PM
We need a study to tell us this? posted by
witterpitters
on Mar 19, 2008 at 04:11 PM
Of Course Linda!! silly you!!!! the gov't needs a committee/study group/blue ribbon panel in order to form a sub-committee/study group/blue ribbon panel so they can break into groups to study the issue!!!!! Two years down the road they will disband ALL the groups and start over!!! Free lunch/dinner & travel all around! Lucky us.....................WE get to pay for all this!! posted by
Lingtaowoo
on Mar 19, 2008 at 04:22 PM
So it wasn't the airplane glue....paint chips....dope......spray paint.....booze while in the womb......cool posted by
Laurah
on Mar 20, 2008 at 08:05 AM
The person who titled this blog has apparently experienced some of that brain cell "damange." :-) posted by
airqualityguy
on Mar 24, 2008 at 08:12 AM
The brain-damaging 63 days of violations (most of them in Kern County) this past winter were due to ammonium-nitrate particles. These form when ammonia mixes with NOx in cool, moist air. The NOx from vehicle exhaust would not be nearly as dangerous by itself. The ammonia from dairy lagoons would not be dangerous either unless you live too close to a dairy. But, mixed together, these two kinds of emissions form a deadly coctail. Ammonia is highly regulated in the Los Angeles area but our air district has refused so far. "How can a cow damage our air quality?", is the usual response. Unfortunately, each of our factory dairies has the sewage problem of a small city and they are allowed to do almost anything they want with that sewage including disposal of most of the nitrates found in the manure straight into our air. The real problem is they are not required to have enough land for each cow for proper recycling of the nutrients. posted by
bakobornnraised
on Mar 24, 2008 at 03:54 PM
With a little studying done, I am pretty sure more people would find more things that cause cancer, illness, diseases, whatever. If it isn't pollution causing brain damage, it's our water posing harmful threats the our health. Why don't scientists start studying a little more on ways to reduce pollution, and less time repeatedly expressing the harmful factors our nasty air exposes? posted by
ChicoEsquela
on Mar 24, 2008 at 04:36 PM
Good point.! Water may well be the cause of more cancers than air ever did! Think cancer clusters................ posted by
sagefever
on Mar 24, 2008 at 04:47 PM
One word:Synergy.:The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. Think about what you breath,ingest,work around,live in,bath in and it's a wonder there is not more cancer. I just finished watching "Fast Food Nation"...ugh,icky.. http://www.themeatrix.com/ for a parody of the matrix and American meat production. There are 3,count 'em 3 places within 20 miles of me that I can find safe food at. posted by
maybelline
on Mar 24, 2008 at 08:47 PM
Air pollution = brain damage?!!! THAT explains a lot of things. Funny proofing catch, Larah! Har Har posted by
ChicoEsquela
on Mar 25, 2008 at 07:20 AM
I thought DaMange is what DaDog had! posted by
maybelline
on Mar 25, 2008 at 09:01 PM
Dang it, Chico. THAT made me giggle.
1
|
