Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution. People with health problems such as asthma, heart and lung disease may also suffer more when the air is polluted. The extent to which an individual is harmed usually depends on the total exposure to the damaging chemicals, duration of exposure, and the concentration of the chemicals at the time and place of exposure. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly. Ongoing research Research into the health effects of air pollution is ongoing.
Medical conditions arising from air pollution can be very expensive.
Healthcare costs, lost productivity in the workplace, and human welfare impacts cost billions of dollars each year. For more information, visit the ELSI in Science program at Berkely. What readers can do to reduce air pollution You might also tell readers what they can do about reducing air pollution. This online booklet tells you everything you always wanted to know and more about what you can do to reduce air pollution . A set of driving tips recommends car pooling, driving at a steady speed, using cleaner fuels and multi-grade oil, traveling light, and no unnecessary idling, especially in traffic jams and drive through windows.