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<br />
<br />In !Ill.' IJllilL'd Stal.:... :lil,' plllhltl\'n I'" a prllhkl11
<br />Hl all brgc ,.Illl.... and III many ..mall Il\Wlh.
<br />I:ach YL'ar Il\'lT 1()(J million Ions of l1lallrn;u.k
<br />W;I,[": prndlll:1s ;lH' rdca...nl inlo the air of the
<br />1 ll'h'd Sl:11c;,. \hi1111 11:,11 ,,[ till' p,,1I111illll I, I'fO-
<br />duc.:d .1, :1 n'\lIlt Ilf lh... lr:l1I,pOl'lali"n "Y\lCl11.
<br />r\llnin.\.: chidl~ frllrn IhL' inll'rnal-cllIllhu\lillll
<br />'"lIglll,'.
<br />Inll'flll' 01 w"1.dll whkh i.. Illlllll'Cl'....Mily in
<br />;dlca..v.. Ih,' Ill',r lIalll'illlllll ,,[ l[WIT lI11jlllrl;ll1l'l'-
<br />:1l"l"llldlll,C hI ]'",1/ "'11 liLli,', "I perr,"nt ,.1 lh.''''o.:
<br />['"II11I:IIlI, ,',1111,' 11"'11 trall,]llHI:lllllll "'111,"<.:,. 1(,
<br />1',"1,",'111 fr.,m fILd comhu...li"1l l!l "tatiollarv
<br />...'HII..:,.... I ~ p'-'I'C<.:tll hUlll lIldu\lrial Pl'l.....c.....<.:... 4
<br />)I,'fL'l'nl luml ".Iid Wa\l..: di...p"...al 1'r.IL.tiIX.... and
<br />r 4 [ll'l"C,'111 ffllm !'Ul'l'~t fliT... ,lIld tllhn llIiscd4
<br />LUWUllS "'(Iurccs. !'Ill' m,lin cbsscs 01 primary pol-
<br />lul;ll1t~ indulk "'lIlfllr IIXilks, par1klllatl' nl;IIIl'r,
<br />calhol\ IllllIHl\itk. hyJrncarhlln~ and ni1rogol
<br />O\IJ...S. Nllrnl'I'(It1~ oth.:r llllximh I!as...s and harm-
<br />ful 1';llliclllall's al...u ar... iJltr(ldll~cd illln thl' at-
<br />1ll""'l'hn... from a vari...ly of ...pt.....ilk ;l...tivities.
<br />I'hllll.ch"'l11l...;d ,ni,Ltnt.... a category (If seculllbry
<br />I'"Uul;lnrs (If ..."rl'Jl1l' impllrLuKl'. "r... rlll'lm:d in
<br />th... ,lll11'''ph...n: wllt'll. u/l(kr Ih..: inlltl..:rll.:": uf sun-
<br />light. nitrl1g..:n lIxid..:s ,,:o11lhine with gas...ous
<br />hydrl"arhorlS.
<br />I\t kwh clIlllnlon!y found in urhan areas, air
<br />pullution c{lIHrihul...... 10 lhl' incid..:nc... of su...h
<br />chronic ailrlll'lIls as l'mphyselllH, hron..:hitis, ;mJ
<br />a~lhma: dis"';I>;"'S which have incrc;l>;l'd drall];\lical4
<br />ly in rceclll decadcs.
<br />.'\1mcowr, chemic"l ,lIld radiological sub.
<br />"t;mCl'S produced hy modern technology ll1,1Y
<br />thrl'alc:n (lur health ;lOd lhe hC'allh of future gen4
<br />cralinns ill ways that we arc fllf frum fully under.
<br />
<br />standing. Scil'nti"h arc now hcginning 10 giw al-
<br />ll'ntion to su..:h rn,lllers as th..: capacity or chl'm-
<br />il.:al agl'nts in th... all1losphl'I'''' 10 pf(\duc~' mul;I-
<br />,"mil.: ~.tfl'l'h in hiolo}.!.ical sy~tl'ms, the Illl'tahnlislll
<br />or ah~orhl'd I"lllutanh, Ih..: ways in whidl PI.I-
<br />Imallh may a]ll'f the nprlll,11 hindll'mi~1f\' of cd!....
<br />alkel lhl' hOrmllf\;jl sy~l~'m, ;lnd ;slll'r t];l' gelll'fa]
<br />flllll'lt,ln... of hody Oll:tivity.
<br />I he ad\'..:rs..: l'CIllHlmic df..:cts uf air pollution
<br /><lr..: much more varinl ~Hld ...uhslalllial Ihan is
<br />g.:rll'r<lll~ n.'<IIr/l.:d. I hn r;ln~l' fWIll till' w;r'-l,' or
<br />hr.:l and nthl'f valllahk re...ources. lhrough th....
<br />s(lilin~ and l.:llrw...ioll of ph}"i..:;!l slrll..:lur~'>; of all
<br />kinds. II' Jam:ll',C tn :ll!rkullurl' and [(lrl....t.... \101\'-
<br />, '
<br />llVl'r. h~ rnt\leing vi...ihihty. air pollution l'nn-
<br />Irihutl.'s tn the \(JJl ur aCl.:idl'nls in hoth air and
<br />ground travel.
<br />Within the 1a...1 dccad... we- haw hegun III un-
<br />,krstalld Ih,ll air pollution i... a cllmpk'\ phl'-
<br />nOll1l'n"n of glohal signilicancl'_ It involvc~ gas-
<br />t'Oll'> as wl'11 as p;lfticlllatl' ,',.nlalllIlMllt...: hl'lh
<br />l'all ..ollll'lim...... hl' all..:r.:d and rl'nJl'f<xl more
<br />ha/ard,.u... lhn1ugh inll'rreaetiolls which (Il'cur in
<br />thl' ;ltlllllSl'hl'fl' under lhl' inllul'ncc of sunlight,
<br />ll1"I~IUfl' <lilt! nlhl'r ":Ilvirllllllll'ntal fact('rs.
<br />T]1(' fir..t Fnkral pnlgram on air pollution was
<br />lk\l'lol'ed 11\ ]1J:;5 wl1l'll th.... Public lh'alth Sl'f\"-
<br />ice eonducled <I llHxtcst air pollution rl'search
<br />prnJ;ralll and offered le...hnical assislance to ~tate
<br />and I'IC,II gnvcrnmcllls. which traditionally have
<br />had primary rcsponsihility for dealing with com-
<br />munity air pnlhllion rrllhkms.
<br />In 1963 Congress p;lssed Ihe landmark Clean
<br />Air Act. This law authorized financial assi~tance
<br />\(I stale and local govcrnments for the initiation
<br />Hnd improvcment of control programs, fedcral4
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<br />air pollutloh control
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