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Smog Hazards to People

Anyone who lives in Los Angeles, California, can tell you that smog is not pleasant, but its true impact, both physically and economically, are just being understood. There are two types of fog: London and Los Angeles. The London type is the result of burning fossil fuels, which produces sulfur dioxide and ozone and combines with fog. In L.A., smog is the result of the interaction between sunlight, temperature inversion and automobile exhaust. Both types raise myriad health concerns.

  1. Lung Cancer

    • A 23-year-long study released in the March 2009 "New England Journal of Medicine" suggests that long-term exposure to smog significantly increases the risk of dying from lung cancer. Michael Jerrett, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, led the study, which was the first to connect chronic exposure to ozone, a well-known common pollutant, with the risk of death. The study looked at 450,000 individuals over a 23-year period and concluded that nearly 20 percent of deaths in in high-ozone areas can be traced to common pollutants.

    Respiratory Ailments

    • Smog can exacerbate existing respiratory ailments such as acute bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma. It can produce coughs, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest. It intensifies an asthmatic's sensitivity to allergens. Fine particles can penetrate the lungs and interfere with the respiratory system, increasing asthma symptoms and hospital admissions.

    Diabetes

    • A 2010 study conducted by the Children's Hospital in Boston showed a relationship between smog pollution and the incidence of diabetes. The study concluded that the higher the level of pollution, the more likely people in that area were to develop the disease. The study was adjusted for other possible variables such as obesity, ethnicity, number of fast-food chains and exercise. The hospital's study was aided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency.

    Economic Impact

    • Smog is not just damaging to people physically, it takes an economic toll as well. A 2006 study by California State Fullerton revealed that smog in the San Joaquin Valley cost California $3.2 billion. About $3 billion was tied to 460 smog-related deaths, along with the cost of hospital admissions and school- and work-day losses. The study, led by Jane Hall, professor of economics and co-director of the Institute for Economic and Environmental Studies at Cal State Fullerton, contends that if ozone and particulate levels were reduced, the state would save more than $3 billion by reducing school absences and incidences of asthma attacks and acute bronchitis. In 1999, a Canadian study indicated smog cost the country's cities about $10 billion annually, according to Environment Canada.

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