Environmental Health

Since the Environmental Protection Agency has not acted on its promise to regulate diesel ship emissions, the San Francisco-based Friends of the Earth have filed a lawsuit against them.

Due to the EPA's negligence, harbor communities like Long Beach, Los Angeles, Houston and New York/New Jersey suffer from high rates of respiratory illnesses, and from the risk of having cancer, says Sarah Burt of Earthjustice, an organization providing legal support in the case.

Air pollution may affect plans for Beijing Olympics.

During a visit to China this month the president of the IOC said that some events might need to be rescheduled because of the extreme pollution that exists in the air above Beijing. If pollution levels stay where they are the air will be unsuitable for endurance events such as the marathon.

Diesel Pollution and Atherosclerosis
A recent study done by UCLA has found a correlation between diesel exhaust pollution and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis, which is the hardening of the arteries, is a dangerous condition that induces a greater susceptibility to heart attacks and strokes. The study shows that when polluted air particulates intermingle with cholesterol fats, they can trigger genes that cause blood vessel inflammation which can further lead to cardiovascular disease.

A recent study conducted by U of T and Mount Sinai Hospital's Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute has proven that pregnant women who are exposed to toxins like, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), can cause their female offspring to have a reduced number of eggs in the ovaries, specifically two-thirds less.

Environmental factors can affect those with lung diseases and respiratory conditions.

Lung irritation triggers

• Air pollution
• Pollen
• Smoke from seasonal wildfires
• Smoking
• Exposure to second-hand smoke

In California, and in other warm and tropical locations, increased warmth leads to more blooming and this can make it even more difficult for COPD and Asthma patients to breathe.

The Environmental Protection Agency held holding public hearings in states that are greatly affected by air pollution. One of the hearings was held in Los Angeles, on August 30, 2007 and the federal air pollution regulators welcomed any comments/complaints made by Los Angeles inhabitants.
Current health risks due to ozone smog have become so great that a child in Los Angeles can even play outside because he might pass out, claims one Los Angeles mother. Indeed "Los Angeles and the Central Valley have the nation's worst ozone smog."