Photo: ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images
"Laboratory rats who breathed Beijing's highly polluted air gained weight and experienced cardio-respiratory and metabolic dysfunctions after three to eight weeks of exposure." The study was conducted by Duke University appeared in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. It is well known that China currently is experience high levels of air pollution, and by breathing this air it may cause serious health problems not only for these rats but humans as well. The experiment took two groups of pregnant rats and put one group in a chamber that was exposed to the polluted air in Beijing and the other rats were placed in a chamber where the air was clean via air filter. The results showed that just after 19 days the rats exposed to polluted air showed increased weight, increased cholesterol, and increased insulin resistance (a precursor to diabetes). Both groups were fed the same food and all other conditions were kept constant. The offspring of these pregnant rats showed similar results but the negative effects were less pronounced. The experiment concluded exposure to air pollution can have nasty negative effects. In regard to the offspring it may prove that longer exposure will yield similar results. "If translated and verified in humans, these findings will support the urgent need to reduce air pollution, given the growing burden of obesity in today's highly polluted world,"
This study relates to principles of ecology due to our obvious need to protect the environment and make more urgent, the need to be as sustainable as possible. A major cause of the polluted air comes from us burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gasoline which we are still reliant on to power our cars and produce electricity. Being more sustainable, we could look for and implement alternative sources of power that would not harm the environment, like wind power, solar power, and hydro power. This pollution not only effects humans, but the entire ecosystem that we inhabit, so the animals, plant life, and so on. So it is not just our responsibility to take care of ourselves, its our responsibility to save and fix the world we are ruining.
This article made me sad a little. The need to clean up our earth and resort to cleaner and more efficient ways of obtaining energy are obvious. The fact that they have to continuously do experiments and show us how all the things we are currently doing are hurting us now and if we do not stop can hurt us a whole lot more down the road. I feel as though we are procrastinating, because we cannot see the results, we cannot see the true monstrous form of this problem. It is a slow and terrible process that may be irreversible once its too late. We are making strides to live more sustainable, and educate the world on its dire need to come together to fix this issue, but I am sorry to say that strides are not enough, we need a slap in the face, and we need to be forced to do this pronto. Forget politics, conflict, religion, traditions, money and all of it...because if we do not address this quickly and seriously all of those things I just mentioned are not going to exist anymore. It is possible to live cleaner, we are a brilliant species, we just have to do it. because soon we might just get fat and develop health problems by simply breathing.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160219111219.htm
This was intriguing to see the links from pollution and obesity. I agree with your opinion. Forget about everything, we must do something to make the Earth safer for us and future generations.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that humans have the most profoundly negative impact on the environment than any other species or any other factor. I agree with you that it is incredibly sad to see that we are continuing, as a species, to harm our home planet so badly. Yet my hope is that we will see studies such as this one and start to realize that the harm we are doing to the environment does not only affect other plant and animal species, but it is negatively affecting our own health, as well. We are a selfish species, so maybe these breakthroughs that prove how much pollution hurts our own health will finally make us realize that we must change our lifestyles if we want to live long, healthy, happy lives.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very scary issue. It is not only an issue for China, but also an issue for the whole world. Pollution is happening everywhere but it is not as bad as China yet. Air pollution not only causes health problems but also causes environmental degradation. Sooner or later, many countries will face serious air pollution issues and it will be too late. We humans are the only ones who can solve these issues. We decide our future and we have the responsibility for the future of our planet.
ReplyDeleteThis was very surprising to me. I never knew that obesity was linked to air pollution. That being said, with a long time before these physical affects can be seen in humans, and many not aware of the direct linkage, we all to often do nothing to help the environment in which we live. I imagine China would not be the only country to be affected by this, as the United States would also likely be affected due to our contribution to air pollution.
ReplyDeleteI knew that the citizens of China had to wear face masks to help filter the air because of the pollution. But I didn't realize that the actual affect it would have on the people. I thought it would only affect their lungs and not their whole entire body. I also didn't realize that it might impact their kids if they are pregnant. This was sad to read and it goes to show that we has a world population need to clean up the world.
ReplyDeleteI did not know you could gain weight from air pollution. We should think of other ways of producing electricity for the future. This could be helpful to the world. I agree with you that it is our responsibility to save our world that we are ruining.
ReplyDelete