Heat Waves and Cold Fronts
During the infamous 1995 Chicago heat wave, 750 city residents died, again, mostly elderly individuals in the heart of urban areas.
Besides social isolation, the other main issue is a lack of air conditioning among lower income, sometimes elderly residents. After all, AC is one of the top factors that prevents heat deaths, Dr. Breysse said. "The elderly in particular are susceptible to the impact of either very cold or very hot waves," he emphasized.
Air Pollution
Outdoor air pollution — whether it's the particulate matter spewing from factories, cars and aerosols, or ozone smog, which gets worse on hot, humid days — can harm those with respiratory conditions, heart disease and allergies.
It can hurt skin, sleep and even damage concentration in children. It's also worse for those living closest to major roads and factories. Outdoor air pollution's affect on cancer is so pronounced, the World Health Organization officially labeled it a carcinogen. (To see the country's worst cities for air pollution, click through the slideshow above.)
Indoor air pollution in cities is still the deadlier global threat, however. It kills between 3.5 and 4.3 million people worldwide every year, primarily because of burning fuels and cooking fires, according to a study in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. "Urban poor people in Africa often bring a simple cooking stove indoors to keep their sleeping area warm at night," researchers wrote.
Sewage and Cities
When heavy rains hit cities, municipal sewer systems are often overwhelmed, dumping a mix of storm water and untreated sewage into nearby waterways.
It's a nationwide problem — an estimated 775 communities in the United States have sewer systems constructed this way, with combined sewage and storm water pipes, including New York City and Chicago. Combined sewer overflows, as these events are known, can have far-reaching impacts. For example, CSO outfalls are "the single largest source of pathogens to the New York Harbor system," according to the New York Department of Environmental Protection," Newsweek recently reported.
Sewer overflows in cities create environmental problems as well, such as toxic algae blooms (shown above), one reason why the Environmental Protection Agency is currently regulating municipalities to ensure an overhaul of city sewer systems.
No comments:
Post a Comment