|  | Public Health Safety | Public Health

Air Pollution Effects on Skin

Air pollution is a fact of life everyone around the globe has to live with. Skin--being the largest organ of our bodies--is a major target for polluting agents and thus is affected by atmospheric pollution. Skin continues to be the major place where pollutants are absorbed into the body, apart from being a site for neoplasms (tumors) and allergens.

  1. Skin and Air Pollution

    • Skin is a shield to the body protecting us from noxious pollutants. These can be in the form of ultraviolet emissions, poisonous chemicals or long-term exposure to contaminated water. Immediate effects on the skin by air pollutants could be in the form of halogen acne, contact dermatitis, depigmentation due to chemical reaction, diseases of tissues and above all, skin cancer. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, "Skin cancers are most closely associated with exposure to UVB (290 to 320 nm) irradiation."

    Effects of Environmental Pollutants

    • Excess amounts of carbon dioxide gas could be potentially harmful to human health, though CO2 is necessary for a number of physiological processes like respiration. Ozone benefits us in a way by keeping out harmful ultraviolet rays, but is a basic component of photochemical smog that forms out of the reaction between hydrocarbons and nitrous oxides. It can cause skin cancer. Another greenhouse gas, carbon monoxide, can enter into red blood cells by soaking the skin and affecting hemoglobin, resulting in a variety of discomforts.

    Effects of Formaldehyde

    • Formaldehyde is a gas that leaks from carpets, insulating foam and particle boards. This can cause nausea, in addition to skin and eye irritation. There is no safe limit of this pollutant, and thus you must keep from contacting it.

    Skin Cancer

    • Because skin is largely exposed to the atmosphere, and allows exogenous material to penetrate into your body, pollutants target this organ heavily. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, "About 700,000 new cases of skin cancer were diagnosed in 1993, and 9100 people died of cancer; 76 percent of the deaths were due to melanoma." Skin cancer is frequently caused by ultraviolet-B radiation; even a single percentage point of ozone decrease can lead to a two percent increase in UVB radiation, and thus, a two percent increase in skin cancers.

    Precautions

    • Since pollutants are known to damage your skin and general health as well, you should know what is packed in the household materials which may be causing irritation of your skin. There are numerous chemicals which cause air pollution, and without even knowing it, you may be using hazardous material in your home and work.

Public Health - Related Articles