air pollution teaching toolkit

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C

LEAN ENERGY

NEPAL

Air Pollution Teaching ToolkitManual on how to teach Air Pollution to Students of Grade 79


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Prepared by

Charina Cabrido

Gopal Raj J oshi

Published by

Clean Air Network Nepal

Clean Energy Nepal

Air Pollution Teaching ToolkitManual on how to teach air pollution to students of Grade 79


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C opyright 2010.

C lea n Air Netw ork Nepa l

C lea n Energy Nepa l

All rights reserved.

Us ers ma y reprod uce a nd us e c ontent o f this Too lkit for

noncommercial purposes by informing and giving due

credit to a forementioned orga niza tions a nd w riters w ho hold

copyright. No other uses are permitted without the express

written permission of the aforementioned organizations.

Layout Design and Printing bywps, tel: 01-5550289, email: [email protected]

Acknowledgement

This too l kit w ould ha ve not b een prod uce d in this sha pe

w ithout the s upport of sta ffs in CEN and C ANN.

We would like to extend our gratitude to FK Network Nepal

for providing financial support for printing this tool kit and

piloting in s choo ls to a ss es s its effectiveness .


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Foreword

We are experiencing rapid growth rate of urbanization, motorization and

industrialization. Our overwhelming dependence on fossil fuel to drive our

da ily life a nd e co nomic a ctivities ha s led to relea sing of va rious g reen house

ga se s a nd a ir pollutants into the a tmosp here resulting in de grad ing of theq uality of a ir in the urba n a rea s a nd g lob a l prob lem o f clima te c hang e.

Degrading of the quality of air in the urban areas has put at risk the lives

of millions of people under direct threat due to health impacts associated

w ith a ir pollution. Accord ing to e s tima tion b y the World He a lth Orga niza tion

(WHO), a bo ut 530,000 prema ture d ea ths in Asia oc cur every yea r bec a use

of outdoor air pollution.

The q ua lity o f a ir in Kathma ndu va lley is muc h low er than the na tiona l

and international standards and the occurrence of high level of PM 10 inthe atmosphere has become a major health concern. Vehicular emission

follow ed b y roa d re-suspe nsion dust, s moke a nd d ust out of the bric k kilns

a re the ma in c ulprits .

It is no t that there is no thing d one to a dd res s this g rave prob lem. Va rious G Os

a nd I/NG Os a nd private se ctor a like ha ve sho wn their conce rn to a dd res s

the problem of air pollution in Nepal but they are strikingly insufficient as

co mpa red a ga inst the ma gnitude a nd g ra vity of the prob lem.

Air pollution prob lem is a multi face t problem. Roa d a nd tra ffic ma na ge ment,transport, usage of energy, urbanization, industrialization directly or

ind irectly co ntribute to the p roblem. This is w hy c lea n a ir initia tives should

be implemented in c oordinated a nd integrated ma nner to res ult s ynergy.

In this co ntext, public a w a reness a nd ed uca tion s hould b e integral pa rt of

such an initiative. With enhanced knowledge and information, locals and

a uthorities c onc erned w ill be motiva ted to a do pt clea n a ir friend ly prac tice s

a nd b ehaviors.


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This integ ration is b ette r ea rlier done, tha n la ter. S choo l children are very

go od entry po int to d iss eminate information, knowledg e a nd s kills on w a ys

to c ontrol a ir pollution. Ed uca ting stud ents mea n investing on future g reen

society that will care for the environment. Moreover, educating school

children means transfer of knowledge to their peers and parents to have

multiplier effect. This too lkit a ims to he lp tea c hers, pa rents a nd e duc a tors

to provide correct and best information regarding air pollution and thus

create a pool of informed children. We are hopeful that this toolkit will

contribute to expanding clean air community in Nepal by facilitating easy

lea nings a bo ut the various is sue s o f a ir pollution in sc hoo ls .

P a nka j KC G opa l Raj J oshi

P rog ra m Direc tor Country C oo rdina tor

CEN CANN


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Overview of the Toolkit

C hildren a re mo re vulnerab le to a irbo rne po llutants a nd they a re o ften more

susceptible to the health effects of air pollution because their immune

sys tems a nd o rga ns a re s till developing a nd thus imma ture.

This Air Pollution Too lkit w ill a ttempt to help tea chers, ed uca tors a nd

c a mpa ig ners in helping c hildren increa se their unde rsta nd ing o f air po llution

a nd the w a ys it a ffects their hea lth, family a nd c ommunity.

Some materials in this toolkit are compiled from various sources and

redes ig ned to suit the loc a l co ntext in Nepa l. This too lkit provide s tea che rs

a nd educ a tors with eas y to use les so n pla ns, enga ging a ctivities , and o ther

resources that can teach students about air pollution, changing climate,

hea lth effec ts o f pollutants a s w ell a s a ctions that they c a n initia te to protect

their health and reduce air pollution.

The ma teria ls in this too lkit supplement the environmenta l, hea lth a nd

sc ience les so ns a t seventh, eighth a nd ninth gra des . The les so ns a re to

be conducted by teachers, educators and youth volunteers working as

ca mpa igners to s tudents of gra des 7 to 9. The les so n pla ns a re de signed

to be stand alone activities that can complement the actual lessons and

can be easily incorporated in the school curriculum. For easy facilitation

a nd effec tive tea ching me thod s , a ll use rs o f this to olkit a re to b e instructed

a nd tra ined o n how to use this ma teria l before ca rrying o ut an a ctua l sc hool

activity.

Contents of the Toolkit

This Air P ollution Toolkit inc lud es :

A B a ckground S ummary section of eac h les so n pla n that s ummarizes

the lessons topics and procedure.

Learning Objectives

Materia ls need ed for activitiesDuration of the activities


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P roc edures or step b y step instructions o n how to c onduct les so ns

Resources or background information that can assist the teachers/

ed uca tors w ith information reg a rding a ir pollution.

Key Mes sa ge s tha t provides a n overview of a ir q uality iss ues c overedin the lesson plans.


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Materials Ha rd Ca rd Boa rd Pa per

Markers

Ta pes

Erasers

LCD P rojecto r, La p top,

curtain and Extension

cords if power point

presentation is planned

What is Air Pollution?

Background Summary

Air pollution has become a problem in Nepal. It has

damaged every aspect of environment including

vegetation, animals, human health, water resources and

properties.

The prima ry ca use s of a ir pollution a re b oth ma n ma de

a nd na tura l proce sses . The c omb ustion o f foss il fuels in

hous eholds a nd industria l ope ra tions is ma inly c ontributing

to emission of pollutants in the atmosphere.

The na tiona l gove rnment reg ula tes a ir po llution throug h

la w s a nd po licies in order to protec t human hea lth a nd the

environment.

There a re s evera l w ords tha t a re use d w hen disc uss ing the

subject of air pollution and this will be further discussed

in the a c tivity.

This activity will run for

60 minutes

Learning Objectives

At the end of les son, the s tudents w ill beable to:

Define the terms Air Pollution a nd Air

Pollutants

Distinguish between Ambient Air

P ollution and Indoo r Air P ollution,

Urba n Air P ollution a nd Rura l Air

P ollution.

Lis t at lea s t 5 Criteria pollutants a nd

5 Haz a rdo us Air Pollutants.

1LESSON


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Procedures

1. Write the follow ing q ues tions o n a c ha rt paper a nd pla c e it on the bo a rd or use

pow er point s lide : Wha t is your understa nding o f Air Pollution a nd of Air Quality?

Do you think the q ua lity of a ir in your a rea is g oo d o r ba d?

How do you know ? Wha t evide nce is there to prove a ir pollution?

Why we need to talk about air quality? Guide the students to identify the

importance of clean air. Explain that bad air can contribute to a variety of

illnesses such as a sthma a nd ca ncer

2. Divide the w hole cla s s into groups o f 6-8 s tudents a nd instruct them to find the

answers for above questions. Each group needs to report the group discussion

findings to w hole c la ss .

3. To help the stude nts understa nd bette r, na rra te the sto ry of The Grea t Lond on

S mog from the ha ndout. Lea d the d isc uss ion ba se d o n this rea l life sc ena rio.

4. Expla in the definitions of Air P ollution, Air P olluta nt (c riteria a nd ha za rdous

pollutants), Ambient, Indoor, and Urban and Rural air pollutions using the

Resource Materials or power point presentation.

Session Materials

The Story of Great London Smog

SMOG is a type of large-scale out door po l lut ion. It is caused by ch emical

reactions between pol lutants derived from different sources, primari ly

autom obi le exhaust and indu str ia l em issions. Cit ies are often cent ers of

these types of act iv it ies, and m any suffer from th e effects of sm og, especial ly

dur ing the warm m onths of the year.

The G rea t Londo n S mog in Londo n sta rted o n Dece mber 4, 1952, and la steduntil March of 1953. It was a great disaster that killed thousands and formed an

impo rta nt impetus to the mod ern environme nta l moveme nt.

In early December of 1952, a cold fog descended upon London. Because of the

co ld, Lond oners be ga n to b urn more c oa l than usua l. The resulting a ir pollution

was trapped by the heavy layer of cold air, and the concentration of pollutants

built up dra ma tica lly. The s mog w a s so thick tha t it w ould s ome times ma ke d riving

impossible. It entered indoors easily, and concerts and screenings of films were

ca ncelled a s the audience c ould not see the stag e or sc reen.



http: / /www.stippy.com/wp/ wp-content/zuploads/2 00 7/ 06 / london-fog. jpg

Road, rail and air transport were almost brought to a

s ta nds till. An estimate d 4,000 people died b ec a use o f it, and

ca ttle a t S mithfield, w ere, the press reported, a sp hyxia ted.

Many w ho died a lread y suffered from c hronic respira tory or

ca rdiova sc ula r complaints.

The indus tria l revolution b rought fac tory chimneys tha t

belched gases and huge numbers of particles into the

a tmosphere. S ome of these pa rticles ca used lung a nd eye

irritations and others were poisonous. From the gases,

corrosive acids were formed, notably sulphuric acid, which

is prod uced w hen sulphur dioxide co mbines w ith oxygen a nd w a ter.

During the day on 5 December, the fog was not especially dense and generally

possessed a dry, smoky character. When nightfall came, however, the fog

thickened . Vis ibility dropped to a few metres. The follow ing d a y, the s un wa s too

low in the sky to ma ke much of a n impress ion on the fog . Tha t night a nd o n the

Sunday and Monday nights, the fog again thickened. In many parts of London, it

was impossible at night for pedestrians to find their way, even in familiar districts.

In the Isle o f Dog s , the visibility w a s a t times nil. The fog there w a s so thick tha t

ht tp: / /chascreek.b logs.com/ .a/6a00d83451ded069e2010536ba24eb970c-500wi



people could not see their own feet! Even in the drier thoroughfares of central

Londo n, the fog w a s e xce ptiona lly thick. Not until 9 Dece mber did it c lea r. In ce ntral

London, the visibility remained below 500 metres continuously for 114 hours and

be low 50 metres continuous ly fo r 48 hours . At Hea throw Airport, vis ibility rema inedbe low ten metres for a lmos t 48 hours from the morning o f 6 Decemb er.

Offic ia ls b elieve tha t a s ma ny as 12,000 people may ha ve died in the grea t Lond on

smog of 1952. Many o f those killed w ere elde rly peo ple or those w ho w ere alrea dy

w ea k or ill. Ac co rding to m ed ica l s ta ff tha t trea ted pa tients a t the time, few peo ple

realized the extent of the impact.

Dr Robert Waller was working at St Bartholomews Hospital in the capital in the

ea rly 1950s. He s a ys a shortag e of c offins a nd high s a les of flow ers w ere the first

indica tions tha t ma ny peo ple w ere be ing killed .

Source: http: / /hubpages.com/hub/Th-London-Smog-of-1 95 2

Resource Materials for Facilitators

The Basics of Air Pollution

What is Air Pollution? What are Air

Pollutants?Air pollution occurs when there is a high

conc entra tion of certa in substa nces that ca uses

the atmospheric environment to become toxic

enough to have adverse impacts on every

a spe cts of environment. The subs ta nces that

are responsible for air pollution are known as

air pollutants. Air pollutants can be gaseous,

liquid or solid in form, and can come from

natural as well as human sources.

Ambient Air Pollution: Ambient air refers to any portion of the atmosphere notc onfined b y w a lls a nd a roo f. The po llution of a mb ient a ir tha t w e b rea the outs ide the

room o r house is know n a s a mbient air pollution.

Indoor Air Pollution: Indoor air pollution refers to the condition of the air insidea building, which can be tainted by pollutants such as smoke, combustion fuel

sources, and building materials and furnishings that emit gas known as volatile

orga nic co mpounds (VOCs )

Air pollution can be classified as ambient, indoor, rural and urban based on spacea nd area.



Air pollution can threaten the health of human beings, trees, rivers, crops, and

a nima ls. Abunda nt a mounts o f a ir pollution c hang es na tura l a tmos pheric proc es se s,

causing acid rains, ozone hole, and enhancing the greenhouse effect. Additionally, it

ca uses ec onomic loss es.

Criteria or Major Air Pollutants Hazardous Air Pollutants

Definition The c omm only found a ir polluta ntsfor which Air Quality Standard are

a vaila ble are known a s criteria or

ma jor a ir polluta nts.

Haza rdo us Air Po llutants a re c hemica ls

that are known or suspected to ca use

ca ncer or other serious hea lth effects,

suc h a s reproductive effects or birth

defec ts, or ad verse e nvironmenta l effects.

Examples Particulate Matter, Ground LevelOzone, C a rbo n Monoxide, Oxide s

of Nitrog en ( Nox), Oxide s of

Sculpture (SOx) and Lead

A ra nge o f hydroca rbo ns (e.g. b enzene,

toluene and xylenes,) and other toxic

organic pollutants (e.g. polycyclic

a roma tic hydroca rbo ns (P AHs), pe sticide

a nd polychlorinate d biphenyls (P CB s).

Sources Thes e a re genera lly found in hig herco nce ntration in the a ir. They a re

emitted from the use o f ga so line

run vehicles; coal fired power

plants, use of fossil fuel in home

a nd industries to meet e nergy

demand.

They a re ge nera lly found in very sm a ll

a mount in the a tmos phere. They a re a lso

emitted from vehicles, chemical industries

pa intings , pes ticides .

Sources of Air Pollution

Source Pollution

Natural Sources

Dust Storms: Dust Storms are produced due to wind circulation

a round the planet ea rth to ca use d ust pollution.

Forest Fires: Huge quantities of smoke are emitted during forest fires.

Volcano es : Volca noes relea se lots of so lid pa rticles, ga ses a ndradiation.

S ea S pray: It is a co ntinuous phenomeno n, which is a ma jor source

of pa rticulate s (liq uid droplets) pollution in the a tmo sp here.

Plant Pollen: During spring, lots of plant pollen is produced and

spread faster by wind to cause dust pollution.

Man Made Sources

Domes tic P ollution by us e of foss il fuels a nd c hemica l sub sta nces

such a s insecticides .

Industrial pollution by industries, power plants, chemical plants.

Traffic P ollution by us e o f fos s il fuel in vehicles



One ma in ca use of a ir po llution is exha ust fumes from

cars and other vehicles that run on gasoline or diesel.

Until a few years a go, lea d w a s a dde d to most ga so line

to ma ke c a r engines run better. The lea d p a ss es

through the eng ine a nd out of the exha ust s ystem into

the air. Lead is a highly toxic metal and can cause

nervous sys tem da mag e a nd d iges tive problems.

Road traffic emissions, particularly from diesel

vehicles are a major source of Particulate Matter

(PM) and Nitrogen Oxide. On the other hand, Carbon

Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that is

formed w hen ca rbo n in fuel is no t burned c ompletely.

It is a component of motor vehicle exhaust. Higher

levels of C O ge nerally oc cur in a rea s w ith hea vy tra ffic

co nge s tion. P M10 pa rticles (the fra ction of pa rticula te

in air of very small size (



a s c a dmium, mercury, chromium, and lead co mpounds . These a re a lso know n as a ir

toxics.

Kathmandu Valley is especially vulnerable to

air pollution due to rapid urbanization and the

significant increase of vehicular transport on

narrow streets. Furthermore, the bowl like

topo g ra phy of the valley restric ts w ind movement

and retains the pollutants in the atmosphere.

This is es pec ia lly w orse during the w inter sea so n

w hen invers ion, w here co ld a ir flow ing d ow n the

mountains is trapped under a layer of warmer

air, creating a lid, which keeps the pollutants

sea led w ithin the va lley.

More than three b illion peo ple w orldw ide co ntinue to de pend on so lid fuels , including

biomass fuels (wood, dung, agricultural residues) and coal, for their energy needs.

In Nepal, indoor air pollution is a major concern in rural areas since biomass fuel

supplies 85% of energy use. Cooking and heating with solid fuels on open fires

results in hig h levels of indo or a ir pollution. Indo or smoke c onta ins a ra nge of he a lth-

damaging pollutants, such as small particles and carbon monoxide, and particulate

po llution levels ma y b e 20 times highe r tha n a cc epte d g uide line va lue

Cartoon Clip Air Quality Forecast for the Day

Image lifted from: montgom erycountymd.gov


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Follow up Activity for the Lesson 1:Air Pollution Word Search

Materials

Air P ollution Word Sea rch

Handouts

Pencils

Erasers

LCD Projec tor, La p top, curtain

and Extension cords if power point

presentation is planned

Procedures

1. P la ce the Air P ollution Word Sea rch w ritten on ha rd c a rd bo a rd pa per on the

wall.

2. Expla in to the stud ents tha t they need to find the w ords c onnec ted to a ir pollution

in the Word S ea rch. Ask them to g o in front a nd enc ircle the wo rds tha t they ca n

identify in the Word Search.

3. Us e the List o f Air Quality Terms a nd Definitions ha ndo ut as a dd itiona l res ource

material.

4. After co mpleting the Word Se a rch a ctivity, as k one student to disc uss to the cla ss

one word in the Word Search. Encourage the student to share three interesting

fac ts a bo ut tha t w ord (persona l experiences , s olutions , etc ). The Ha ndout c a n be

used a s a guide to help them expla in their idea s to the clas s.

5. P rovide information and c ontinue ca lling s tudents to expla in until a ll w ords in the

Word S ea rch a re c overed.

6. B ring students to the conc lusion tha t w e are often unaw a re of how our everyda yactivities contribute to air pollution. Review actions that people should take to

improve a ir qua lity.


60 minutes

2LESSON



Session Materials

Air Pollution Word Search

D J L C O M B U S T I O N X Y Z A G H F

A X S T H J L W Q B T I O N P A Q Z X I

R M K W N O I S R E V N I L A M R E H T

O M P I A E T Y A M H T S A T N L Y G O

N A M B I E N T A I R M I G T S S R O Z I P M G

M M E R C U R Y Z G N B C V E

O G K N X B E N Z E N E M E T H Y L E N E

N I T R O G E N O X I D E S S A T T X O T O I C O

O A R S T E D I X O N O M N O B R A C X

X Y I Z F J I E Q R D H S L E N O Z O I

I P A R T I C U L A T E M A T T E R Z DD J N S S C O N T A M I N A N T D N I E

E W A C L E A N A I R V N B F J Y V O C S

S S E C O R P L A C I M E H C O T O H P

A S B E S T O S R E P S E L I M N E G Y X O

D T C Y M N A T U R A L S O U R C E S P

Here are the words to look for:

AMB IENT AIR LEAD

LUNGS P HOTOCHEMIC AL P ROCESS

CARB ON MONOXIDE AS B ES TOS

THERMAL INVERS ION METHYLENE

NATURAL S OURCES B ENZENE

CLEAN AIR NITROG EN OXIDES

VOC S C OMBUS TION

OXYG EN C ONTAMINANT

OZONE AS THMAMERCURY P ARTICULATE MATTER



Resource Materials

List of Air Quality Terms and Definitions

AMBIENT AIR is the outdoor air in which humans and other organisms live andbrea the. The co ntent and q ua lity of ambient air is d irectly a ffected by the d a y-to-

da y a ctivities of humans .

CARBON MONOXIDE a colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas, CO, formedby the incomplete combustion of carbon or a carbonaceous material, such as

gasoline.

THERMAL INVERSION In meteo rolog y, a situa tion in w hic h a la yer of w a rm a ir (a ninversion la yer) lies ove r a la yer o f coo l a ir.

NATURAL SOURCES Forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion, pollen

dispersal, evaporation of organic compounds, and natural radioactivity are allamong the natural causes of air pollution.

VOCs a re c ompo unds tha t have a high va por pres sure and low w a ter so lubility.VOCs a re o ften c omponents of pe troleum fuels , hyd ra ulic fluids , pa int thinners,

and dry cleaning agents. VOCs are common ground-water contaminants.

OXYGEN A co lorles s, tas teles s, odo rles s, ga se ous, ga se ous element oc curingin the free s ta te in the a tmosp here, of w hich it forms a bo ut perce nt by w eight a nd

a bo ut percent b y volume, b eing s lig htly hea vier than nitrog en.

OZONE a n unsta ble, poiso nous a llotrope of oxyge n, O3tha t is formed na tura lly

in the ozone layer from atmospheric oxygen by electric discharge or exposure

to ultraviolet radiation and also produced in the lower atmosphere by thephotochemical reaction of certain pollutants.

LEAD One of the elements, a heavy, pliable, inelastic metal having a bright,bluish c olor, b ut ea s ily ta rnished.

PHOTOCHEMICAL PROCESS A chemical reaction influenced or initiated by light,pa rticula rly ultra violet lig ht, a s in the c hlorina tion of b enzene to produc e b enzene

hexachloride.

ASBESTOS either of two incombustible, chemical-resistant, fibrous mineralforms of impure magnesium silicate, used for fireproofing, electrical insulation,

building materials, brake linings, and chemical filters.

BENZENE A colorless, flammable, liquid aromatic hydrocarbon, C 6H6, derivedfrom p etroleum a nd us ed in or to ma nufa cture a w ide variety of c hemica l prod ucts,

including DDT, d eterge nts, inse cticide s , a nd m oto r fuels .

NITROGEN OXIDES any of several oxides of nitrogen formed by the action ofnitric a cid on o xidizab le ma teria ls ; prese nt in ca r exha usts .

COMBUSTION a chemical change, especially oxidation, accompanied by theproduction of heat and light.

CONTAMINANT A subs ta nce, element, or co mpound that ma y harm huma ns orother forms of life if released into the environment.

PARTICULATE MATTER Material suspended in the air in the form of minute solid

particles or liquid droplets, especially when considered as an atmosphericpollutant.



Action Day Tips! CONSERVE ENERGY Your home energy consumption translates into airpollution, therefore a ny e nergy c ons ervation or effic ienc y improveme nts

you ma ke w ill help.

MODIFY YOUR TRANSPORTATION share a ride to work or use electricvehicles. Bicycle or walk to errands when possible.

ELIMINATE TOXIC CHEMICAL USE AT HOME A surprising number ofhousehold or home s hop c hemica ls a re toxic a nd vola tile. Many relea se

vapors into the a ir, inside the home a nd out. This c a n be s erious hea lththreat to your family, and contributes to community-wide levels of air

pollutants.

PLANT LEAFY TREES AND SHRUBS Dec iduous trees a nd s hrubs (the kindsthat drop leaves in the fall) are excellent air filters to help reduce smog

a nd co ol the air on hot summer da ys.

GET INVOLVED AND TALK TO YOUR LEGISLATORS Many of our currentgovernmental regulations are not strong enough to address our air

pollution problems. You need to work with your legislators and ask for

be tter po licies.

References

http://www.studyenglishtoday.net/lesson19.html

www.tceq.state.tx.us/assistance/education.html

http://www.epa.gov/air/airpollutants.html

www.drivecleanacrosstexas.org/for.../pol lut ion_wordsearch.pdf

Did You Know?

In the high layers of the atmosphere, Ozone acts asa protective sunscreen that shields us from the high

levels of UV radiation coming from the sun. At ground-level, however, it can be harmful to plants, animals, and

humans.



Background Summary

Air is the ocean we breathe. Air supplies us with oxygen which is

es sential for our bod ies to live. Air is 99.9% nitrog en, oxyg en, w a ter

vapor and inert gases. Human activities can release substances

into the a ir, so me of w hich c a n ca use problems for humans , pla nts,a nd a nimals.

There a re se vera l ma in types of pollution and well-known effects

of po llution w hich a re c omm only disc uss ed . Thes e include smog ,

acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and holes in the ozone layer.

Eac h of thes e problems has se rious implica tions for our hea lth a nd

w ell-being a s w ell a s for the who le environme nt.

When people think about air pollution, they usually think about

smog, acid rain, CFCs, and other forms of outdoor air pollution.B ut did yo u know tha t a ir pollution c a n a lso exis t inside home s a nd

other buildings? It can, and every year, the health of many people

is affected by chemical substances present in the air within their

homes.

There a re ma ny sources of indo or a ir pollution. Tob a cc o s moke,

firew oo d co oking a nd hea ting a pplia nces , a nd va pors from b uilding

materials, paints, furniture, cause pollution inside buildings.

Both indoor and outdoor pollution need to be controlled and/or prevented. How can we prevent the damaging effects of air

pollution?

What is wrongwith this Picture?

Materials

P icture Pa ge found

on the to olkit


60 minutes

3LESSON



Session Materials: PICTURE PAGE

PICTURE 1 Little Arya is excited to paint his room with bright colors.

Procedures

1. Dra w the pictures g iven in the picture pa g es o f this too lkit on ha rd ca rd boa rdpaper. Instead of drawing, pictures from magazines or books can be cut and

pa sted o n the pa per.

2. P la ce the pa per on the w a ll so that everyone sees it.

3. Ca ll a s tudent a nd a sk w ha t is w rong in this picture (Referring to the firs t

picture).

4. Encourage the s tudent to provide expla na tion for ea ch of the pic ture.

5. Ca ll other s tudent and d o the s a me until a ll pictures a re covered .

6. B ring the cla ss into a discus sion on the so urces a nd effects of air pollution a nd

the preventive measures on how to reduce it.

Learning Objectives

Students will learn how to:

1. Identify the sources of air pollution

(manmade and natural).2. Ide ntify preventive mea sures that peo ple

c a n ta ke to red uce a ir pollution.



PICTURE 2 Most farmers use chemical fertilizers in their daily work.

PICTURE 3 Amita g a thers firew oo d a nd us es it in co oking their food .

PICTURE 4 Deepa k burns their ga rba ge a t their ba ckyard.


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Resource Materials

PICTURE 1 Little Arya is excited to paint his room

with bright colors

Most paints give off fumes that evaporate

in the air, causing a variety of symptoms,

from hea da che to troub le brea thing. The

most common immediate symptoms from

paint fumes include eye and throat irritation,

headache, dizziness, and trouble breathing.

More long-term exposure to paint fumes can

lea d to neurolog ic a l problems (such a s c hronic

headaches) and chronic breathing problems

(suc h as a sthma ).

To a void getting s ic k from p a int fumes , first

be sure to pick a paint that does not have

any lead or mercury in it. Lead was removed

from pa int in the la te 1970s, b ut mercury w a s

only recently removed. Rea d pa int ca n la bels

ca refully b efore ma king a ny purcha se s.

When painting a room, be absolutely sure that the room is properly open to the air

outside (ventilated) both when youre painting and when its drying. Keep windowsopen to allow fresh air to circulate throughout the room and use exhaust window

fa ns to move a ir from in the room to the outs ide. This is pa rticula rly impo rtant fo r

very young children. Exposure to high levels of lead can affect a childs mental

de velopm ent, lea ding to lea rning prob lems .

PICTURE 2 Most farmers use chem ical fertilizers in theirdaily work

Chemical fertilizers are manufactured from synthetic

material that has equal distribution of three essential

nutrients: phosphorous, nitrogen, potassium. Several

chemical fertilizers have high acid content. Examples

of these a re a mmonium sulfate, a mmonium phospha te,

ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium chloride and the

like.

A relatively small amount of the nitrogen contained in fertilizers applied to the soil is

a ctua lly a ss imila ted into the pla nts. Much is w a shed into s urrounding bo dies of w a ter

or seep s into the g roundw a ter. This ha s a dd ed significa nt a mounts of nitra tes to the

wa ter tha t is cons umed by the public. S ome medica l studies have s ugges ted that

certain disorders of the urinary and kidney systems are a result of excessive nitrates



in drinking water. It is also thought that this is particularly harmful for babies and

c ould even b e p otentially c a rcinog enic. The nitra tes tha t a re c onta ined in fertilizers

are not thought to be harmful in them. However, certain bacteria in the soil convert

nitra tes into nitrite ions . Res ea rc h has sho w n that w hen nitrite ions a re inge s ted , they

c a n ge t into the blood s trea m. There, they bond w ith hemog lob in, a p rote in that is

responsible for storing oxygen. When a nitrite ion binds with hemoglobin, it loses its

a bility to s tore oxyge n, resulting in s erious hea lth prob lems .

PICTURE 3 Amita ga thers firew ood and uses it in cookingtheir foodMost Nepa li hous eholds s till use ope n fire pla ce s inside

their homes for cooking , hea ting a nd lig hting . Thus

res pira tory and e ye dise a se s a re wide spread , espec ia lly

among women and children, as the wood used in the

kitche n burns w ith lots of b la ck s moke. The a vera g e d a ily

levels of exposure to particular matters are significant

highe r than the internationa l maximum a llow ed levels of

exposure. An average household in Humla uses 20 - 40

kg firewood a day for cooking, heating and lighting. Cooking in particular uses large

amounts of fire wood as the traditional meal, daal bhat (rice, lentil and vegetables),

ha s to be c oo ked one a fter the other. Fina lly the enormous fire wood co nsumption in

open fire pla ce s has a lso to b e mentioned a s ma in rea so n for defores ta tion in rura l

a rea s of Nepa l. The use o f efficient Improved Co oking S toves a nd b iog a s prod uced

from animal dung are some potential solutions to curb this problem.

PICTURE 4 Deepak burns their ga rbage at their backyardB urning ope n ga rba ge c rea tes po llution thats d a ngerous

to human health and contaminates the air, water, and

soil. S ma ll fires mea n b ig troub le. They prod uce a lot of

smoke, as well as a variety of toxic substanceseven

burning seemingly ha rmles s ma teria ls like pa per.

What is the Problem? G a rba ge has cha nged. Toda y's household tra sh

contains a lot of plastics and paper treated with

chemica ls, c oa tings , a nd inks.

S moke. P ollutants from ba ckya rd b urning o f tra sh a re relea sed prima rily into the

air and close to ground level where they are easily inhaledwith no pollution

controls!

Ash that remains contains concentrated amounts of these toxic materials that

ca n blow a wa y or seep into the s oil a nd g roundwa ter.

The pra ctice s o f reduc ing reuse , recyc ling a nd househo ld c ompos ting of w a ste

a re the bes t wa ys to s olve the problem so lid w a ste ma nag ement.



PICTURE 5 Aasifs motorcycle did not pass the em ission testand he still drives it on the street.Air po llution is inc reas ing in urba n a reas of Nepa l, a nd the

ma jor so urc e of this problem is tra nsport sec tor. Number

of vehicles increases at the rate of over 10 percent per

year. Nepal distributes unleaded petroleum all over the

country but there are records of adulterated fuel supply

by dealers thus making the condition worst. Nepal has

se t vehicula r emiss ion sta nda rds of CO, HC a nd s moke.

In general 23% vehicles emit more than the standard

fixed. Maintenance of vehicles and monitoring systems are relatively unsatisfactory,

ma king pe ople a w a re a bo ut tra ffic norms, proper ma intenance of vehicles a nd c los e

guarding of the quality of fuel should help overcome this problem. Inspection on

roa d a nd a ir qua lity monitoring prog ra mmes sho uld be la unched b y the g overnment.

Inspection of vehicles on roads for emission level is required, as several vehicles

entering Kathmandu valley violate the emission standards. An urgency of air quality

measuring centre is realised. Because of bowl shape topography of Kathmandu

va lley, po llution s ce na rio b ec ome s a la rming.

PICTURE 6 Bimal is w orking on a brick kiln fac tory since hewa s 10 years oldThe b rick s ec tor in Kathma ndu va lley, w hos e functioning

and growth is directly linked to construction activity, is

prese ntly in the eye o f a s torm. P os itive ra te of g row th inconstruction activity in past few years has resulted in a

proliferation of brick kilns, which have reappeared in the

Valley with spectacular speed raising serious concerns

about the deteriorating air quality. It has been reported

tha t b rick kilns , prod uc ing in exc es s of 350 million bricks

a re the ma jor single source of S O2 and S P M in the environme nt of Ka thma ndu va lley;

c ontributing over 60 perc ent o f the em iss ions .

The b ric k manufa cturing indus try in Nepa l is under the proc es s of te chno log y s hift to

c urb this problem. Vertica l S ha ft B rick Kiln is one of s uch c lea ner techno log y w hic huses lesser amount of coals resulting reduction in emission of air pollutants and

green house ga ses.



Key Messages

Air pollution can make you sick.It ca n ca use burning eyes a nd nose a nd a n itchy,

irrita ted throa t, a s w ell a s trouble in brea thing. S ome che mica ls found in polluteda ir ca use c a ncer, birth defects , brain a nd nerve d a ma ge a nd long -term injury to the

lungs a nd brea thing pas sa ges .

Air pollution can damage the environment.Trees , la kes a nd a nima ls have bee nharmed by air pollution. Air pollutants have thinned the protective ozone layer

a bo ve the Ea rth; this los s of ozo ne co uld c a use c ha nges in the environment a s w ell

a s mo re skin ca ncer and c a ta ra cts (eye da ma ge ) in people.

Air pollution can damage property. It ca n dirty buildings a nd o ther struc tures .

S ome c ommon polluta nts ea t a wa y stone, da mag ing b uildings, monuments a ndstatues.

Air pollution can cause haze, reducing visibility in national parks andsometime interfering with aviation.

Activity SheetI t is important th at w e use CLEAN FUELS.

Can you match the fuels (left) with the vehicles (right)?

A. Traditionalfossilfuel for cars

___.

ETHANOL

B.Liquefied petroleumgas (LPG)

___.

ELECTRIC

C.Corn to makealcohol fuel

___.

PROPANE

D. Used cookingoil ___.

GASOLINE

E.Recharging station ___.

BIODIESEL



References

http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/activitybook/cleanfuels.html

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Chemical_Fertilizer_vs_Organic_Fertilizer

h t t p : / / w ww . r i d s - n e p a l . o r g / i n d e x . p h p / Sm o k e l e s s _M e t a l _ S t o v e _ SMS .

html?fontstyle=f-larger

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/reduce/burnbarrel.cfm

http://www .un.org/esa/gite/iandm/jhapaper.pdf

http://www.devalt.org/newsletter/jun03/of_5.htm

http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=3923&channel=0

http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-71954.htmlAdapted from : Ozone Ac tion! Lets Clear the Air Educational Act ivities 6th Grade -

8th Grade West Michigan Clean Air Coalition. www.wmcac.org/grades6-8.pd f.

CLIMATE AND AIR QUALITY: A CASE STUDY OF PM10 POLLUTION IN KATHMANDU,

NEPAL

Mark L. Hildebrandt1 and Sum it Pokhrel2, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, IL 62026-1459

www.searo.who .int/.../National_Environment_&_Health_Action_Plan_chp9b.pd f

http://www.deq.state.id.us/air/educ_tools/inversion_in_cup_lp.pdf

http://www.ew.govt.nz/environmental-information/All-about-air/Weather-affects-air-

quality/


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Impacts of Air Pollution

Background Summary

Air pollution d oe s no t only da ma ge the a ir; it a lso d a ma g es environme nts o n Earthssurface and their inhabitants. Plants and animals are harmed by air pollution.

S ometimes it is the pollutants themselves tha t ca use da ma ge . Other times pollutants

combine and change the resources that plants and animals depend upon such as

water, soil, and nutrients.

The impa c ts o f air po llution a re diverse a nd nume rous. Air po llution c a n have serious

consequences for the health of human beings, and also severely affects natural

ecosystems. Because it is located in the atmosphere, air pollution is able to travel

ea s ily. As a result, a ir po llution is a g lob a l prob lem.

In this a ctivity, s tudents w ill explore more a bo ut the wa ys that a ir pollutants ca n da ma ge

health, ecos ystem, property a nd the c ountrys ec onomy using c oncept ma ps.

Co ncept ma ps encoura ge understanding b y helping s tudents o rga nize a nd enhance

their know led g e o n a ny topic. They help stud ents lea rn new informa tion b y integ rating

ea ch new idea into their existing b od y o f know ledg e.

Concept Maps can:demonstra te a n understanding of a bod y of know ledg e

explore informa tion a nd rela tions hipsaccess prior knowledge

sha re knowledg e a nd informa tion

visualize problem solving options


90 minutes

Students will be able to identify key

co nce pts rela ted to impa cts of a ir po llution

to health, ecosystem, property and

economy and link the concepts together

in a n understa nda ble ma nner. This

activity will help the students construct

and understand meaningful relationships

using co ncept maps .

Materials

Chart Papers

Colored Pens

Topic Hea ding s

Learning Objectives

4LESSON



Procedures

1. Divide the stud ents into four groups . Ass ig n the groups into the follow ing

topics: Air P ollution impa c ts o n Hea lth

Air Po llution impa cts on Ec os ys tem (P la nts a nd Anima ls)

Air P ollution impa c ts o n P roperty

Air Pollution impacts on Economy

2. Distribute the ma teria ls to ea ch g roup.

3. Ask eac h of the groups to w ork tog ether a nd brainstorm appropria te terms

to come up with a Problem Solution Concept Map. Each group will use their

res pec tive topic a s the ma in prob lem for the c once pt ma p.

4. Ask them to write in the cha rt paper the prob lem (topic as s igne d to ea c h g roup),its definition, c a uses , a nd e ffects , lea ding to a pos sible so lution.

5. Ask them to link the subtopics a nd topic hea ding s tog ether to form a co mplete

loop or cycle ma p. They ca n use w ords, s entences a nd a rrow s to link the

terms.

6. Ca ll the students to expla in a nd provide information rela ted to the loc a l sc ena rios

in Kathmandu Valley. Relate the story of Kanncha found in the Resource

Materials.

7. B ring the students to a discuss ion of solutions o n how to mitiga te the nega tive

impacts of air pollution.

Session Materials

AIR P OLLUTION IMP AC TS ON HEALTH

AIR P OLLUTION IMP AC TS ON P ROP ERTY

AIR P OLLUTION IMP ACTS ON EC OS YS TEM (P LANTS AND ANIMALS )

AIR P OLLUTION IMPAC TS ON EC ONOMY



Resource Materials

Air pollution in Ka thma ndu ha s rea che d c ritic a l c ond itions . Be ca use o f its b ow l sha pe

and being surrounded by mountains, pollutants created by exhaust fumes fromvehicles and industry gets trapped. People can wear masks when they are outside,

but tha t only helps a little. Air pollution co ntrols a nd progra ms a re und er w a y, b ut it

w ill ta ke so me time for a ir q ua lity to return to hea lthy sta nda rds .

Impacts on Human Health

The hea lth impa c t o f a ir pollution in the

Kathmandu valley can be assessed

by the increa se in numbe r of pa tients

suffering from diseases related toair pollution. Medical records from

hospitals in the Kathmandu valley

revealed that urban residents have

more respiratory diseases than rural

res idents (LEADERS , 1998).

S imila rly, loo king a t the da ta ba se of huma n hea lth, tota l outpa tient (OP D) vis its, a nd

the percentage shared by the respiratory disease (ARI) for two years, it quite clearly

reflects the increasing trend of respiratory disease. From 1996 till 1998, number of

ARI patient is increasing at the rate of 22.89 percent per year. Similarly, share of ARIpatient out of total OPD visit has been increased from 9.99 to 10.11 percent within

the sa me spa n of time.

S imila rly, the tota l a nnual mortality c a se s in the Ka thma ndu va lley d ue to a ir pollution

is estimated to be 84 and the number of respiratory symptom days at about 1.5

million using the d a ta of 1990. The c os t o f morbidity res ulting from P M10 w a s found

to be NRs. 180 million a nd tota l hea lth da ma g e to be NRs. 210 million.

It is estimated that among the sources of air pollution, traffic sources (exhaust andresuspension) might have the largest impact on health. Furthermore, it is estimated

tha t the red uction in vehicle exhaus t emiss ions is mos t effective in terms of reduce d

hea lth d a ma g e (NRs 341 per kg emiss ion reduc tion) (World B a nk, 1997).

Impacts on Ecology and Historical Sites

Air pollution in Kathmandu is also causing damage to many historical building that

represe nt the c ultura l heritag e o f the Kathma ndu va lley. Acid ma de a s a res ult of va rious

sulphurous and nitrous oxides reacting with water can damage fine wood carving,

marble and metallic exteriors common to many historical building in Kathmandu. Airpollution a lso ha s a neg a tive impa ct o n the loc a l environment a nd ec olog y, w ith ac id

rain res ulting from pollution be ing de trimenta l to plant a nd a nima l life.

https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0605/5b16054125836/5b16055d8b262.jpg



Impact on Tourism and EconomyIt is estimated that NRs. 0.5 billion per year in tourism revenue is lost due to air

pollution in Kathmandu valley (World Bank, 1997). Findings of a survey conducted

a mong 1,702 tourists betw een May a nd J une 2001 by MARG Nepa l indica te that

the q ua lity of a ir is the number one a rea w here touris ts fee l improvement is need ed .

This s how s tha t Ka thma ndus poo r tra nsporta tion s ys tem a nd po llution is no t only

affecting human health and environmental quality, but also the tourism industry

(Business Age, 2001).

What is Acid Rain?

Acid rain describes any form of precipitation with high levels of nitric and sulfuric

acids. It can also occur in the form of snow, fog, and tiny bits of dry material that

settle on to the Ea rth.

The b ig g es t culprit of a c id ra in is the burning o f fos s il fuels b y coa l-burning pow er

pla nts, fac tories , a nd a utomobiles .

When humans burn fossil fuels, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are

relea se d into the atmos phere. These c hemica l ga se s rea ct w ith wa ter, oxygen, a ndother sub s ta nce s to form mild s olutions of s ulfuric a nd nitric a c id. Winds ma y s pread

Did You Know?

Concept maps were developed in 1972 in the courseof Novaks research program at Cornell where he

sought to follow and understand changes in childrensknowledge of science (Novak & Musonda, 1991). The

fundamental idea in Ausubels cognitive psychology is thatlearning takes place by the assimilation of new conceptsand propositions into existing concept and propositional

frameworks held by the learner. Out of the necessity to find abetter way to represent childrens conceptual

understanding emerged the idea of representingchildrens knowledge in the form of a

concept map.



these a cidic so lutions a cross the a tmosp here a nd o ver hundreds of miles . When a cid

ra in rea ches Earth, it flow s a cross the surfac e in runoff w a ter, enters w a ter sys tems,

a nd s inks into the soil.

Acid rain has many ecologicaleffects, but none is greater than its

impact on lakes, streams, wetlands,

a nd other aq ua tic environments. Acid

ra in makes wa ters a cidic a nd ca uses

them to absorb the aluminum that

ma kes its wa y from s oil into la kes a nd

s trea ms . This c omb ina tion ma kes

waters toxic to crayfish, clams, fish,

a nd other aq uatic a nimals.

Acid rain also damages forests,

es pec ia lly thos e a t hig her eleva tions . It rob s the s oil of es se ntia l nutrients a nd relea ses

a luminum in the s oil, w hich ma kes it hard for trees to ta ke up w a ter. Trees lea ves

a nd needles a re a lso ha rmed by a cids .

The effects o f a c id rain, comb ined w ith other environme nta l stres sors, reduce the

ca pa city of the trees a nd pla nts to w ithsta nd c old tempera tures, insects , a nd disea se.

The po llutants ma y a lso inhibit the a bility of the trees to reproduc e. S ome so ils

are better able to neutralize acids than others. In areas where the soils buffering

ca pa city is low , the ha rmful effec ts o f a cid ra in a re much g rea ter.

Key Messages

The ultima te tes t of ma ns c onsc ience

may be his willingness to sacrifice

so mething toda y for future g enera tions

whose words of thanks will not be

heard.

- Gaylord Nelson, former governor ofWisco nsin, founde r of Earth Da y

Let every individual and institution now thinkand act as a responsible trustee of Earth, seekingchoices in ecology, economics and ethics that willprovide a sustainable future, eliminate pollution,poverty and violenc e, a w a ken the wonder of life a ndfoste r pea ce ful prog res s in the human a dventure.

John McConn ell, founde r of Interna tiona l Earth Da y

http: / /www.dec.ny.gov/ images/a ir_ images/acidra in.g if



P erched on the mounta ins to the north

of the Kathmandu Valley is Helambu,

a land famous for its red apples.

Kanchha remembers it vividly how hea nd his three s isters w ould harvest the

a pples a nd s ell it in the villa g e the s a me

day just to bring food in the familys

tab le. B ut this wa s long a go; the apple

farming has been slowly decreasing.

An unknown disease has destroyed

the apple farming. B uckw hea t, potato ,

pumpkin crops still continue to flourish on the terraced fields, supporting life in the

ce ntra l Hima la ya n S herpa co untry.

Kanchhas family relied on agriculture and they decided to leave their village for

greener pastures in Kathmandu. On their way there, Kanchha has observed signs

of c lima te c ha nge e veryw here. The Hima la ya n gla ciers a re s low ly melting a s the

snow line shifts highe r; indig enous peo ple a long the wa y expres sed their w orry abo ut

the a rrival of new bug a nd pla nt spec ies in the highla nds ; flood s a nd la nds lides w ere

co mmon a nd trigg ered by unpredicta ble rains. He picked up a roc k that he had never

se en before, bec a use it had bee n buried under the thick snow -co ver.

As they a pproa ched the city, Ka nchha sa w a bla nket of g ra y pollution c overing the

buildings a nd hous es below. Kathma ndu city res ides in a bo w l sha pe va lley, a nd thisprevents the escape of industrial and vehicle fumes.

Kanc hha s fa ther immed ia tely found a job in a brick kiln fa cto ry not very far from the

c ity. Thes e kilns produc e highly conce ntra ted a mounts of fine pa rticula te ma tter,

which interact with other industrial and vehicle fumes over Kathmandu. Brick

kilns use coal as their main fuel source, and this contributes to the air pollution in

Kathmandu by pumping considerable quantities of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and other

toxic s ubs tanc es into the atmos phere. After a few mo nths, Kanc hhas father sta rted

to c ough. The money tha t they have s a ved from fa rming b a ck in Hela mbu ha s to be

spent on few medications to cure his fathers respiratory problems. Over the time,his father could not fully recover due to the prolonged exposure to toxic substances

from the brick kiln fa c tory.

Story Page:The Story of Kanncha

5LESSON



One day, Kanchha and his three sisters

were roaming around visiting some

temples and monuments in the city.

Kanchha had heard about them before

and was overwhelmed with the intricate

des igns of the temples in Durba r Sq uare.

The s q ua re teems w ith c olorful life.

Vendors sell vegetables, flutes, and

other crafts around the site. However,

he noticed that some woodcarvings,

statues, and architecture in the area had

not been maintained and some were

destroyed. Locals in the area mentioned that this was one of the effects of the

cha nging clima te.

Now , Ka nchha is no t sure w hy this is ha ppening. He w a nts to d o s omething a bo ut it

but is not certain how to start it.

Procedures

1. Rea d The S tory of Ka nncha found on the S tory pa ge .

2. Ask the students to ide ntify key environme nta l problems that Ka nchha ha s

seen or experienced in the Humla region and on his way to the city.

3. Ask the students to ide ntify key environme nta l problems that Ka nchha ha s

seen or experienced in Kathmandu City.

4. Encoura g e disc uss ion of these ide ntified environme nta l problems foc using

on the ca uses a nd how it impa cts the people living there.

5. Ask the s tudents how they ca n c ontribute so lutions to the problems.

7. C a ll ea ch s tudent a nd a sk him/her w ha t is w rong in this picture (Referring to

the first picture).

8. Encoura g e the s tudent to provide expla na tion for ea ch of the picture.

9. C a ll other student for a nd do the s a me proce dure until a ll pictures a re

expla ined b y the students .

10. Bring the class into a discussion on the sources and effects of air pollution

a nd the preventive mea sures on ho w to reduce it.



Original image lifted from Energy and The Environment, Nevada Environmental Educational

Network newsletter, 1992

S now melting trigg ers

glac ia l la ke floo ding

Acid rain affects temples

and sta tues

Contributes to S MOG

affecting visibility

Hela mbu Reg ion

Emits sulfur

dioxide a nd o ther

toxic substances

B rick Kiln Fa c tories

Can you help Kanchha identify some of the environmental problems that he hasexperienced? Can you help him identify solutions to these problems?

Ide ntified P roblems Example of Impa ctsS ugg es ted Actions/S olutions for the identified

problems and subsequent impacts

Students Working Sheet


42/74

Referenceshttp ://w w w .ekantipur.co m/2009/11/21/ope d/cha ng ing -la ndsca pes/303236/

http://w w w .w orld-wea ther-trave llers-guide .c om/a ir-po llution-in-ka thma ndu.html#b rick

dougsa mu.wordpress.com/?s = wa ter

http://w w w .i-hea rt-g od .c om/ima g es /ea rth%20ca rtoon%20draw ing .jpg

Action Day Tips!

S kip the pa per or pla stic a t the grocery store

There a re ma ny reusa ble s hopping b a gs a vaila ble, a nd they a re even

a va ila ble in fun colors, pa tterns, or w ith fun sa yings on them . There a re

reusa ble ba g s tha t fold up into tiny little pa cka g es , ma king it ea s ier tha n ever

to pop them in your purse or pocket and take them with you wherever you

go . Keep a supply in your ba g s o tha t even w hen you make an unexpected

sto p a t the sto re, you dont have to use pa per or pla stic.



Background Summary

Breathing clean air is important to maintain our health.Thousa nds of us live in areas w here the air is s ometimes

co nsidered unhea lthy to brea the beca use it is polluted. One

common a ir pollutant is ground-level ozone. The effec ts of

ground-level ozone pollution are different than the effects

of the ozone layer high up in the atmosphere, which helps

protect us from receiving too much of the suns ultraviolet

radiation. At ground level, ozone can cause breathing

difficulties, aggravate lung diseases, such as asthma,

and may cause permanent lung damage. An easy way toremember the different types of ozone is: Good up high,

bad nearby. Ground-level ozone pollution is formed when

certa in pollutants, know n a s precursors, a re relea sed from

vehicles , industries , a nd pow er pla nts, a nd in the presence

of sunlight a nd hea t rea ct tog ether to form ozone.

Another common air pollutant is particle pollution,

which can cause breathing diffi culties, aggravate heart

disea se a s w ell a s lung d isea se, a nd may c a use chronic

bronchitis or reduced lung function in children. Particlepollution consists of tiny particles of dust, dirt, smoke,

a nd liq uid droplets that co ntain c hemica ls.

In this lesson, students first read background materials

about the health impacts of air pollution, followed by a

teacher-led discussion. Students then role-play realistic

case studies, as patients with health symptoms and

their family me mbe rs . The res t o f the c la s s interview s the

patient and family members to try to determine which

a ir pollutant ma y ha ve ca used the symptoms . The cla ssthen discusses what they can do to protect their health

w hen a ir qua lity is poo r.

Diagnose the SymptomsThis activity will run for

1 hour

6LESSON



Materials

B a ckg round Re a ding : Wha t Are the Hea lth Impa cts of Air

P ollution? (one for ea ch s tudent)

P ollutants Cha rt: S ources a nd Effects of Air P ollutants

(one for ea ch s tudent)

G roup Ta sk C a rds (one s et for eac h of three g roups; cutto ca rd s ize be fore distributing)

S ymptoms S cena rios A, B , a nd C (a different sc ena rio for

each of the three groups)

S tudent Worksheet: Which P ollutant? (one for ea c h

student)

Procedures

1. Distribute a mong the students the B a ckground Rea ding ma teria l a nd the

P ollutants Cha rt a nd g ive them 5 minutes to read .

2. Hold a b rief cla s s disc uss ion of the rea ding mate ria ls . Ask them if they alrea dy

knew about the health effects of air pollution discussed in the Background

Reading and the Pollutants Chart? Were you surprised at any of these health

effects? Have you or anyo ne youve know n experienced a ny of thes e effects

3. S elect 12 students a nd divide them into three g roups o f four students e a ch for

role-playing.

4. Distribute materia ls to the groups and others to the cla ss , as indica ted:

To the three groups of role-pla ying s tudents :S ymptoms Sc enario

Image liftedfrom: npte l.iitm. a c. in/... /Mod ule3/3a .htm

Learning Objectives

Students will learn how to:

Identify so me of the hea lth s ymptomsassociated with specific air pollutants (ozone

and particle pollution).

Ide ntify preventive measures tha t peo ple ca n

ta ke to protec t their hea lth.

Understa nd which seg ments of the popula tion

are most at risk from air pollution.



Hand out S cena rio A to one g roup, Sc enario B to a sec ond g roup, and

S ce na rio C to the third g roup. G ive the role-pla ying g roups the P olluta nts

C hart and S tudent Worksheet s o they ha ve the sa me informa tion a s the

res t of the cla ss .

To the res t of the c la s s, distribute the S tudent Workshe et: Which P ollutant?

5. Expla in the stude nts in the three role-pla ying g roups tha t ea c h member of

their group will choose and assume a specific responsibility, as defined on

the G roup Ta s k Ca rds , a nd w ill present their S ce na rio to the c la s s. Expla in

that one pa tient a nd o ne fa mily membe r (or, s eco nd pa tient) from ea ch

group will introduce themselves to the class based on the information in

their Symptoms Scenario. Another group member will act as class monitor,

maintaining order during questions and answers; and another wil l act as

scribe, wri t ing answers on the board. Each of the cards describes the tasks

in mo re de ta il.

6. G ive the groups time to prepa re (5 to 10 minutes), a llow ing them to b riefly rea d a nd

disc uss their Symptoms S cena rio a nd G roup Ta sk Ca rds a mongst themselves to

prepa re for their prese nta tions , w hile the rest o f the cla s s c ontinues to review the

Background Reading and Pollutants Chart materials.

7. Tell s tudents in the aud ienc e that they a re go ing to be do cto rs trying to

determine the pollutant most likely associated with or causing the symptoms

prese nted. Tell them to lis ten c a refully to ea ch o f the three prese nta tions a nd

ma ke do cto rs no tes on S tudent Workshe et: Which P ollutant? As they liste n. Tell

them they will be asking the patient and family member in each group questions

to help the cla ss co me up with answ ers.

8. Have the first group pres ent its S ymptoms S cena rio to the cla ss . Ass ist the group

as needed.

9. After the pres entation, tell the res t of the cla ss to go a hea d a nd a sk do cto r

q ues tions to try to d etermine pos s ible ca use s o f the symptoms . Tell them they

ca n use their Stud ent Worksheet: Which P ollutant? The P ollutants C ha rt a nd the

ba ckground read ing a s g uides . Ha ve the pres enters respond . Ass ist the cla ss a s

needed in asking targeted questions to obtain pertinent information included in

the S ymptoms S cena rios.

10. Eac h pres enter sho uld res pond a s b es t as they ca n from their a ss igned S ce narios .

Other members of their group (e.g., family member, class monitor, and scribe)

ca n help them a nsw er questions.11. After a reasonable amount of time questioning the Scenario presenter group,

have the class as a whole (presenting group, other groups, and audience)

together continue to try to determine the pollutant associated with or causing

the symptoms, as well as identify health prevention measures, with teacher

guidance-but dont tell students yet which pollutant it is or possible preventive

measures.

12. Disc oura ge students from a rriving a t a nsw ers too q uickly. Enco ura ge q uestions

a bo ut other as pec ts of the pa tients life (e.g., ciga rette s moking) that c ould a lso

be a n influence . Inform stude nts tha t even w hen a ir pollution is a prima ry fa cto r,

ma ny o ther fa c tors c a n s till influence our hea lth.



13. Using Tea cher Answ er Sheet : Which P ollutants? , sha re a nd d isc uss the a nsw ers

w ith the c la s s , including the po llutant mos t likely a s soc ia ted w ith or res pons ible

for ea ch groups symp toms/ illness , and preca utions tha t people ca n ta ke to

protect their health.

14. Repeat Steps 8 through 13 with each of the other two groups. Each group is

given 10 minutes each in presenting their Symptom Scenario and answering

questions from students.

Symptoms Scenario A

Patient:Allay (if man) or Pabitra (if woman)Family Member: Ankur (cousin)

Patient- Use this information to introduce yourself and your family member to theclass:

My name is Allay (or Pabitra). I used to be a runner years ago. I stopped for a few

years, but took it up again last year. Lately Ive been feeling short of breath in the

midd le o f my run. This is my c ous in Ankur, w ho is a lso my roo mma te. Hell tell you

tha t Im a pretty se rious runner.

Now , a sk the cla ss to a sk you questions.

Patient and Family M ember - Use this information to a nsw er cla ss q uestions a bo ut thepatient:

34 yea rs old

Lives a nd wo rks in Lalitpur

Works a s a co mputer prog ra mmer

Works with a sm a ll, inde pend ent c ompa ny

The office b uild ing he w orks in is w ell-ventila ted

Running is a n importa nt perso na l interest

Other hob bies include hiking a nd surfing the Net

S moked from a ge 14 to 16, but I q uit when I go t sma rt enough to know

better

Roo mma te smo kes, but only outside , so Alla y is not brea thing Ankurs

smoke Ra n pretty reg ula rly from a ge 20 to a round a ge 30

Session Materials



S tarted running a ga in la st yea r, in Decemb er

Ra n in the ea rly morning, a bo ut 6:00 to 6:30 a.m ., a ll w inter

In April, s ta rted w orking a n e a rly s che dule a nd running a fter w ork,

a round 2:00 pm La s t w inter, felt refres hed a nd rea lly up a fter running, just like yea rs a g o

Has b een running very regula rly and is c onfide nt hes in good s ha pe

La tely ha s bee n feeling s hort of breath ha lfwa y through a run

He also notices that he seems to cough and needs to spit while running,

w hich d idnt ha ppen b efore

Has never ha d a ny lung or respira tory prob lems in the pa s t

Cous in Ankur w ill vouch tha t Alla y ha s be en running a s reg ula rly a s he s a ys

five or six times a w eek, for over a yea rso this c a nt be ha ppening b eca use

hes in poor sha pe.

Symptoms Scenario B

Patient:Isw a r Humag a iFamily Member:Emma Humag a i (his w ife)

Patient - Us e this informa tion to introd uce yourself:

My name is Iswa r Humaga i. I have been ha ving c hest pa in and ches t tightness for the

last two or three months. Since these problems didnt seem to be going away, I went

to see my doctor last week. She told me that I have arrhythmia, which is an irregularheartbeat. I had a minor heart attack when I was 56, but have felt pretty good since

then.

Now , as k the cla ss to a sk you q uestions.

Patient and Family Mem ber - Use this informa tion to a nsw er cla ss q uestions a bo utthe patient:

Isw a r is 62 yea rs o ld

He retired ea rly, a t ag e 50 Never smoked c iga rettes o r a nything

Us ed to w ork for the c ity a s a tec hnician insta lling a nd repa iring tra ffic lights .

They live in Puta lis a da k beca use they like living nea r their children a nd

grandchildren

Love kids

Every Monda y throug h Frida y, ever since retiring, Isw a r volunteers a s a s cho ol

cross ing g uard a t a busy interse ction, helping kids ge t a cross the street

He does this for an elementary school and a middle school, that start at two

different times , so hes o ut there almos t two hours ea rly ea ch mo rning a nd tw o

hours each afternoon Likes to w ea r w hite s hirts, e ven though they a lw a ys loo k rea lly dirty a fter do ing

the crossing guard work



They live in a n a pa rtment nea r the sa me intersec tion

S evera l fac tories are nea rby

His hob bies include bo w ling, go ing to grand childrens soc cer ga mes ,

ba bys itting for the younges t grand da ughter, a nd s taying in clos e touch w ithw orld new s

Not rea lly into exerc ise or w orking out

Isw a r a nd Emma ta ke a w a lk a round the neighb orhood a c ouple of times

each week, usually right after he finishes crossing guard duty

Symptoms Scenario C

Patient:Anamul Shrestra Second Patient:Dot S hres tra

Patient:Us e this information to introd uce yourselves :My name is Anamul Shrestra and this is my wife Dot. We live in Chaunni. We

came back from our afternoon walk feeling just awful.

Now , as k the cla ss to a sk you questions.

Patient and Second Patient:Use this informa tion to a nsw er cla ss q uestions a bo utthe pa tients:

Hes 58 yea rs old

S hes 48 yea rs old

They ta ke a b risk wa lk tog ether almos t every da y, in mid-a fternoon

Us ua lly wa lk tw o miles , a long river, whe re its q uiet a nd theres no tra ffic

Ana mul interests include c oo king, w oo dw orking, a nd fishing Dots interests inc lude pa inting a nd pla ying drums with a ja zz ba nd

Tod a y wa s a bea utiful sunny da y a nd the first really hot da y of spring

Tod a y they took a different route than usua l

The tra ffic w a s b a cked up for se vera l bloc ks on one roa d, a nd they were

curious w hy, so they dec ided to turn up tha t roa d a nd s ee for thems elves

Ended up sitting b y the roa d for an hour in the midd le of the w a lk, ta lking

with a friend who was stuck in the giant traffic jam

Nea r the end of the wa lk, both Anamul a nd Dot sta rted w heezing a nd

coughing

Dot wa s feeling some nausea

Ana mul felt like his a s thma w a s a c ting up for the first time in yea rs



GROUP TASK CARDS

GROUP TASK CARD

PATIENT

You will play the role of the primary

character described on the Symptom

S ce nario ca rd. Using informa tion o n the

card, you will introduce yourself to the

class and then answer questions from

them.

A member of your family will help you

answer questions. After some time

has passed, if you feel that there is

important information on your Scenario

card that has not been covered by the

q uestions , you ma y de cide to volunteer

tha t informa tion.

GROUP TASK CARD FAMILY MEMBER (or SECOND

PATIENT)

You will play the role of someone in the

pa tients fa mily. The p a tient w ill introduce

you to the class, using information on

the Scenario card. You will then help

the patient answer questions from the

class.

If questions are asked which are not

a nsw ered on the S ce nario c a rd, you w ill

consult with the patient about how to

bes t ans w er the ques tions (in a w a y that

would not alter the conclusion reached

by the c la ss ).

GROUP TASK CARD

SCRIBE

You are responsible for writing

information on the board as the patient

and his or her family member answer

q uestions from the cla ss .

Making a list of this information will

make it easier for the class to focus on

what they know so far, choose good

questions to ask next, and determinethe pollutant that is associated with or

causing the patients symptoms.

GROUP TASK CARD

CLASS MONITOR

It is your res po ns ib ility to ma inta in order

and designate whose turn it is to ask a

question.

Call on those with their hand raised so

that they can a sk q uestions o ne a t a time

a nd everyone ca n hear the ans wers.

You will have to pace the questions sothat the Scribe has time to write the

a nswe rs on the boa rd.



Handout

Background Reading: What are the Health Impacts of Air Pollution?

Air Pollution and Our Health

Every minute of every day, we breathe six to ten liters of air. If the air carries unhealthy

levels of pollutants, those pollutants can enter our bodies and affect us in many ways.

Thousa nds of us live where the a ir is often unhea lthy to b reathe . A la rge number of people

a re a ffected lea ding to the hea lth impa cts o f a ir pollution being c os tly in the long run.

Air pollution is es pec ia lly ha rmful to the very young

and old. Infants and children are at risk because

their lungs are not fully developed until they areabout 18 years old and because they breathe

fas ter. The elde rly a re a t risk be ca use the y a re

more likely to have undiagnosed heart or lung

disease.

Since the respiratory system comes in direct

contact with the air we breathe, it is the body

sys tem most likely to be a ffec ted by a ir pollutants.

People who already have asthma, emphysema, or

other respiratory conditions, as well as people withheart or other circulatory problems, are especially

susc eptible to the e ffects of a ir pollution.

Even hea lthy peo ple c a n be a ffected by a ir pollution. Air pollution c a n a ffect a nyone.

Hea lthy teenag ers, yo ung a dults, a nd s trong a thletes ca n suffer neg a tive effec ts from

hig h po llution levels , e spec ia lly w hen e xerc is ing outd oo rs .

P eople w ho live in hea vily po lluted a rea s a re expo sed to not just one po llutant b ut to

ma ny pollutants. And, the c onc entration o f ea ch po llutant cha nge s d uring the d a y. All

of this makes it difficult to separate out the effects of each pollutant.In addition, how susceptible people are to the effects of air pollutants can vary

w ide ly. Think a bo ut a roo mful of hea lthy peo ple w ho a re a ll exposed to the s a me

co ld virus. S ome w ill develop a ba d c old, o thers a mild c old, a nd o thers no c old a t

a ll. In a s imila r w a y, susc eptibility to po llutants ca n vary grea tly even a mong a g roup

of healthy individuals.

Finally, there are always many influences on our health. If you develop symptoms

tha t mig ht be ca use d b y a ir pollution, its often d iffic ult to b e s ure tha t pollution w a s

the ca use. J ust a s w ith other hea lth prob lems , there a re likely to b e s evera l fac tors

affecting your health.



How Much Do We Know?

Although the part of our bodies most affected by air pollution is the respiratory

system, the circulatory system can also be affected. Exposure to unhealthy levels

of air pollutants can result in low oxygen levels in red blood cells, abnormal heart

rhythms, a nd increas ed risks o f blood clots a nd na rrow ing o f blood vess els. These

effects can lead to worsening of heart diseases such as heart failure and increased

risks of hea rt a ttac ks or strokes .

The P ollutants C ha rt: S ources a nd Effec ts o f Air P ollutants s umma rize the s ources

and health effects of criteria air pollutants. When we inhale particle pollution

(dust, soot, dirt, and liquid droplets, which may or may not be visible), tiny bits

of foreign ma tter ca n tra vel de ep into the lungs w here they b ec ome lodg ed in the

a lveoli, w hich a re s ma ll ba lloo n-like s a cs in w hich oxyg en exc ha nge oc c urs . This

is where carbon dioxide from the blood is exchanged for oxygen from the air.

S ome p a rtic les ca n be exha led o r moved out by the c ilia ; other particles ma y sink

into unde rlying tis s ue or move into the blood s trea m. Hea lth effects from pa rticles

range from coughing and aggravated asthma to chronic bronchit is and even

premature death. For people with heart disease, exposure to particle pollution

can cause serious problems in a short period of timeeven heart attackswith

no w a rning signs .

Ozone pollution, which is invisible, can

irritate the respiratory system, reduce lung

function, inflame and damage the lining of

the lungs a nd the c ilia , a nd c a use structura l

damage of the lungs. Ozone pollution can

also reduce the number and functioning

ability of bacteria-destroying white blood

ce lls. Ozone po llution ca n ag grava te a sthma

and increase peoples susceptibility to

respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and

bronchitis. Symptoms to watch for when

ozone is in the air include coughing, pain

when taking a deep breath, and breathing

difficulties, especially when active or

exercising outdoors. But ozone da mag e ca n

a lso oc cur without any noticea ble s igns . For

some people, several months of repeated

expos ure to ozo ne ca n perma nently da ma ge the lungs. It is importa nt to know that

ozo ne c a n ha ve two very different effects, d epending on w here it is in the a tmosp here.

G oo d oz one o cc urs na tura lly high up in the atmo sphere (the stra tos phere), whe re it

helps protec t us from rec eiving to o muc h of the suns ha rmful ultra violet ra ys . B a d

ozone at ground level is air pollution, as we have been discussing, and can result

in health and environmental problems. An easy way to remember the difference is:

Ozone: goo d up high, ba d nea rby.



Polluta

nt

Sources

PossibleEffectsonHumans

OtherEffects

Comments

Particle

Pollution

(alsoc

alled

Particulate

Matteror

PM)

Dust

MotorVehicles

Exhaust

Factories

BurningofCoalfor

Power

NaturalSources:

forestfiresand

volcanoes

Irritatesnoseandthroat

Difficultandpainfulbreathing

Coughing,chesttightne

ss

ReducesLungfunction

Lowersresistanceto

respiratoryinfection

Aggravatesasthmaand

existinglungandheart

diseases

Chronicbronchitisand

reduced

lungfunctioninchildren

(long

termexposure

Prematuredeath

Reducesvisibility

Discolorsbuildings,

statuesandpainted

surfaces

Interfereswith

photosynthesis,

may

damagecrops

Mayalterclimat

e

75%f

rommotorvehicles

Usuallyreferstoparticles

lessthan10or

2.5

microns(1micron=

1/1,000,000of

ameter

Particlepollutionis

usuallyworseinwinter,

ornearbusyro

adsor

factories.

Ground

Level

Ozone

Formedwhen

NitrogenOxides

(NOx)andVolatile

OrganicChemicals

(VOCs)reactin

heatandsunlight.

Sourcesof

NOxandVOCs

includevehicle

exhaust,industrial

emissions,gasoline

vaporsand

chemicalsolvents.

Coughing,painwithdeep

breathingandshortnessof

breath

Nausea

Irritatesrespiratorysystem,

chesttightness

Damageslungtissue

Reduceslungfunction

Aggravatesexistinglung

conditionincludingasth

ma

StructuralChanges(lon

gterm

exposure)

Prematuredeaths

Deterioratesrub

ber,

paintsandsomebuilding

materials

Damagesfruitsand

seeds

Injurescropsan

dtrees

Affectswholeecosystem

byalteringwildlifehabitat

Ozonepollutionisoften

worseinwarmerweather,

inlateafternoonsa

ndearly

evenings.Ozoneis

goodup

highintheupperatmosphere

whereithelpstoprotectus

fromtoomuchofthesuns

harmfulultravioletr

ays.

Ozoneisbadatgro

undlevel

whereitcanresultinhealth

andenvironmental

problems.

Remember,Ozone:goodup

high,

badnearby.

PollutantsChart:SourcesandEffectsofPollutants



Polluta

nt

Sources

P

ossibleEffectsonHumans

OtherEffects

Comments

Carbon

Monoxide

Construction

Equipment

MotorVehicles

Exhaust

ForestFires

Industrial

Process

Reducingoxygendelivery

to

thebodysorgans(likethe

heartandbrain)andtissue

s.

Visionproblems

Reducedabilitytoworkor

learn

Reducedmanualdexterity

,and

difficultyperformingcomp

lex

tasks.

Atextremelyhighlevels,C

O

ispoisonousandcancaus

e

death.

COcontributestothe

formationofsmog

ground-levelozone

,

whichcantriggers

erious

respiratoryproblem

s.

CarbonMonoxide

(CO)

isalethalpoisonthatis

producedwhenfuelssuch

asgasolineareburned.

BecauseCOisco

lorless,

tasteless,odorles

sandnon-

irritating,itcanov

ercome

anexposedperso

nwithout

warning.

Nitrogen

Oxides

Agriculturalsoil

Animalmanure

Wastewater

treatment

Humansewage

Mobileand

Stationary

sourceoffossil

fuelcombustion

Adverserespiratoryeffects

includingairwayinflammation

inhealthypeopleandincreased

respiratorysymptomsinpeople

withasthma.

SmalllevelsofNOxcanca

use

nausea,irritatedeyesand/or

nose,fluidforminginlungsand

shortnessofbreath

Helpsformacidrain

Itcontributestoglobal

warming

Ithampersthegrowthof

plants

NOxcanformwith

other

pollutantstoformtoxic

chemicals

Componentingro

und-level

ozoneandsmog

Combineswithparticlesto

reducevisibility

Isagreenhouseg

asthat

contributestoglo

bal

warmingandclim

ate

change



Polluta

nt

Sources

P

ossibleEffectsonHumans

OtherEffects

Comments

Sulfur

Dioxid

e

Fossilfuel

combustionat

powerplants

(66%)and

otherindustrial

facilities(29%).

Industrial

processessuch

asextracting

metalfromore,

andtheburning

ofhighsulfur

containingfuels

bylocomotives,

largeships,

andnon-road

equipment.

Irritatesthenose,throat,a

nd

airwaystocausecoughing

,

wheezing,shortnessofbreath,

oratightfeelingaroundth

e

chest.

Sulfurdioxidedissolves

easilyinwaterto

formsulfuricacid.

Sulfuricacidisam

ajor

componentofacid

rain.

Thisdamageforestsand

crops,changetheacidity

ofsoils,andmake

lakes

andstreamsacidic

and

unsuitableforfish.

Sulfurdioxidealso

contributestothe

decay

ofbuildingmaterials

andpaints,includ

ing

monumentsandstatues.

Lead

Leadbased

Paint

Dust

DrinkingWater

Smeltingplants

Exhaust

emissionsfrom

leaddrivencars

Stomachpainandvomiting,

diarrhea,andblackstools.

Severeexposurecancaus

e

nervoussystemdamage,with

symptomssuchasintoxication,

coma,respiratoryarrest,a

nd

evendeath.

Leadaccumulates

in

thebodiesofwater

organismsandsoil

organisms.Leadingto

poisoning.

Leadisaparticularly

dangerouschemical,

asitcanaccumulatein

individualorganism

s,

but

alsoinentirefoodchains.

Onceleadenters

thebody

itaffectstheperip

heraland

centralnervoussystem

(PNS,

CNS),bloodcells,

metabolismofvitamin

Dandcalcium,an

d

reproductivetoxic

ity.The

nervoussystems

eemsto

bethemostsensitiveto

leadpoisoning.



Student Worksheet: Which Pollutant?

Refer to the B a ckground Rea ding: Wha t Are the Hea lth Impa cts of Air Pollution?

a nd the P ollutants C hart: So urce s a nd Effects o f Air P ollutants a s need ed a s yo utry to determine the following information about the patients in each group.

Enter your answers for each patient below during group presentations and

afterwards during class question and answer sessions. You will be seeking

information about:

S ymptomsNote key symptoms or beha viors in the pa tient.

P ollutant mos t likely to be a ss oc ia ted w ith or ca using s ymptoms -Note the

pollutant mos t likely to b e a ss oc ia ted w ith or ca use thes e s ymptoms .

Health P rec a utions Note preca utions that c ould ha ve bee n taken to preventor de crea se the likelihoo d of the problem a ris ing.

1. Allay (or Prabitra) (young adult runner)

Symptoms:

Pollutant most likely to be associated w ith or causing symp toms:

Health Precautions:

2. Iswar Humagai (crossing guard)

Symptoms:

Pollutant most likely to be associated w ith or causing symp toms:

Health Precautions:

3. Anamul and Dot Shrestra (middle-aged w alkers)

air pollution teaching toolkit

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