DECEMBER
The air we breathe has a lot do do with our health. As we breathe in fresh air, our lungs absorb oxygen from the air and pass it into our blood stream so it can be transported throughout our bodies. Oxygen is important for our whole body to have the energy it needs to survive.
It is important for all of us to have clean air to breath. People living in industrial areas are more likely to develop asthma. People who smoke are more likely to suffer from lung disease. You may have seen an example of the lungs from a smoker which are small, black and unhealthy looking. Years and years of breathing particles of tar and smoke can cause the lung tissue to develop cancer, and can even cause death.
Breathing clean air is important for keeping your lungs nice and healthy. Tiny particles
of dust and soot in the air can enter your lungs when you breathe, and can block the movement of oxygen. Harmful particles can come from pollutants in the air like dust, smog, soot, smoke, and other chemicals. Because of the importance of clean air to our health, most cities keep track of air pollution by issuing smog warnings on days when there is a high level of air pollution.
Agencies measure the amount of polluting particles (also called particulate matter ) in
the air. Polluting particles can be solid particles or liquid droplets, they can be big or
small, and colored or colorless. Some are large and dark enough to be seen with the
naked eye or a magnifying lens. Are these polluting the air where you live? What about near a construction site, or in an industrial area or the park around the corner? You can
do a simple experiment with Vaseline to find out the answers to these questions.
Note this project looks at pollutants visible with the naked eye or a magnifying lens.
It does not pick up all polluting particles.
Merry Christmas!
¡Feliz Navidad!
Joyeux Noël!
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