ART 3170 Civic Engagement: Social Issues "Action" Project
Welcome to the ART 3170 blog created as part of the civic engagement requirement of this course. In this blog, students will identify a major social issue that affects them and their communities. After conducting brief research on the issue and sharing their personal feelings, students will locate members of their communities who are also affected by the same social issue.
Angel Quintana
The Harm of Traffic Air Pollution
Research:
Does traffic air pollution create a hazardous environment? Traffic air pollution is harmful to society’s health however it was not always considered a societal issue. In the 1970s pollution was not a major threat however in the past two decades it has become an environmental health issue, especially in California. Concerns began to rise after concentrations of harmful chemicals increased from hundreds to thousands of micrograms per cubic meter of air. Traffic air pollution increased because of the rise in traffic and chemicals over the years since they have a correlation together with the more cars being used the more there is a higher accumulation of harmful chemicals in the air. Traffic air pollution was a minor concern until deaths and health admissions increased drastically, both these factors substantially grew to where traffic air pollution became a significant issue. These public health indicators suggested that air pollution was becoming a problem for the environment and had an effect on health issues. It is important to note that “almost 10% of public schools in California are located within 150 meters of roadways with >25,000 vehicles daily” (McConell et. Al. 2010 p. 1026). These schools are exposed to more than 25,000 vehicles daily, being exposed to traffic-related is detrimental the chemicals involved are O3, NO2, PM10, and PM2.5. These chemicals are permeable enough to penetrate the respiratory system leading to respiratory diseases. With long-term exposure to air pollutants, the repercussions can have life-threatening effects, these busy roadways have a higher concentration of oxides such as nitrogen which in turn results in higher asthma prevalence rates. “Residents of Los Angeles County are exposed to 60 percent more vehicle pollution than the state average”. The emissions from vehicle tailpipes and vehicle refueling were looked at for the study and pollutants such as PM2.5 are formed when coming in contact with the atmosphere and reacting with it. PM2.5 is the most significant pollutant impacting human health the particle can penetrate into the lungs and bloodstream especially during gas exchange within the lungs.
Personal Statement
Traffic air pollution should be a major concern, especially in Los Angeles. If this situation continues a lot of health issues can occur for people who have asthma problems or develop respiratory issues. Los Angeles traffic becomes concentrated throughout the day on a daily basis allowing for an accumulation of harmful pollutants that can be detrimental to the public. Traffic becomes so concentrated cars actually stop on the freeway because it is moving slow throughout the city on the freeway. As a driver in Los Angeles traffic, I usually have to go home at 5pm when it is rush hour and traffic is so jammed cars are stuck on the exits because traffic is so slow knowing that thousands of cars are moving at a slow pace throughout Los Angeles only allows for pollutants to accumulate over time and can cause an unsafe environment to live in.
Interviews
Gean Leslie Asayas
"Los Angeles definitely has a great amount of air pollution I noticed this when I traveled to the Philippines for the summer because the air over there was clean and breathable. Coming back to Los Angeles I had a hard time adjusting to the air quality here. Traffic air pollution is a problem that should be addressed more because it can harm everyday life".
Jasmine Chavez
"Starting off as a new driver dealing with traffic is aggravating. While I'm in the middle of traffic I can see the smog coming from cars and buses and it is not only concerning because it harms our physical health but also our ecosystem so it is something we need to take into consideration for people who have health issues like asthma and especially babies and might affect someone more intensely breathing in the harsh chemicals".
Lyra Conrad
"Traffic in LA can be hectic, mainly because you have to leave early or at a certain time of the day to avoid being stuck in your car for an extra hour or two. For me personally, it doesn't help my motion/car sickness being trapped in my car for that long. I also feel like it can affect you physically and mentally. For example, you get more anxious, tired, and of course, lose all patience. In my opinion traffic air pollution-can be harmful to our environment mainly because studies have shown what the gases/fumes released from our cars can do to not just our overall earth atmosphere but to us as human beings. It can cause diseases, allergies, and even affect what we consume such as food crops".
References
McConnell, R., Islam, T., Shankardass, K.,
Jerrett, M., Lurmann, F., Gilliland, F., … Berhane, K. (2010). Childhood
incident asthma and traffic-related air pollution at home and school. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118, 1021-1026.
City News Service (2019, February 5). LA County Exposed to 250 Percent More Pollution From cars Than Bay Area, New Study Finds Retrieved from
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/LA-County-Residents-vehicle-air-pollution-html.
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