There are health consequences of breathing polluted air. For 6,000 people a year in Canada, those consequences are deadly.

Who's at greatest risk? Poor air quality affects everyone exposed, but is of more concern for some. People with existing respiratory or cardiovascular (heart) disease like asthma, chronic bronchitis, angina, arrhythmia or a history of heart attacks are most affected by air pollution.

Children are also more susceptible to problems — for their size they take in proportionately more air into thier less-developed respiratory systems. They also spend more time outdoors so they are more likely to be exposed.

The elderly may also be at increased risk, not because of their age, but because they are more likely to have other health problems such as heart and lung disease.

There are four main components to air pollution that concern us.

1. Particulate matter: usually designated as PM10 or PM2.5, refers to microscopic solid and fluid particles suspended in the air. PM10 identifies those particles sized 10 microns or smaller; PM2.5 measures those 2.5 microns or smaller— these are of the most concern as are small enough to infiltrate deep into the lungs. Particulate matter comes from fuel combustion such as wood, diesel, coal and other fuels along with windblown dust and plant matter.
2. Ozone: high in the atmosphere, ozone acts as a sunscreen shielding the earth from high levels of UV radiation from the sun. At ground level, however, ozone is harmful to plants, animals and humans. Ground level ozone is unlike other air pollutants in that it is less common in urban polluted areas than in suburban or rural areas. This is because ozone disappears when it reacts with other pollutants such as nitric oxide
3. Nitrogen oxides (NOx):  another element of air pollution, describes nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, both of which are odorous and corrosive. NOx is produced as a result of road traffic and other fossil fuel combustion processes. NOx is a precursor for a number of harmful secondary air pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter.
4. Sulphur dioxide is a colourless gas that smells of a struck match (sulphur). It comes from burning fuels such as oil and coal that contain sulphur. When combined with water in the air, it produces a weak sulphuric acid, a component of ‘acid rain.’

These ingredients found in our air have serious health consequences, and not only for small groups like the very old or very young.

We also need to be better informed and to let our politicians know that air pollution is a concern.

Learn more about air pollution Visit the BC Lung Association or the BC Air Quality Index website.

Submitted by Dr. Paul Martiquet, medical health officer for rural Vancouver Coastal Health including Powell River, the Sunshine Coast, Sea-to-Sky, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.