Health Concerns and Environmental Issues Associated

Running Head: Health Concerns and Environmental Issues Associated

With Transportation

There has been escalating global concerns regarding the numerous effects of transportation on both the environment and health of living organisms. Undoubtedly, transport is a one of the most significant sectors of the human economy as it facilitates access to jobs, leisure, education and other services. As economies expand, the need for mobility has exponentially increased in both the second half and the fist decade of the 20th and the 21st centuries respectively. There are, however, detrimental effects on both the global environment and the health of humans, and other living organisms associated with transportation.

Notably, transportation compromises the environmental air quality. A major contributor to this is the motor vehicle transport. Societies continue to rely heavily on motorized transport leading to an increase in highway capacity and consequent increase in fuel consumption and emissions of both reactive and non reactive pollutants. These emissions are pollutants comprising of gases such as carbon monoxides (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (N2O), and other particulate matter which pollute the environment, subjecting plants and animals to poor air quality.

Bell, Davis, Cifuentes, Cohen, Gouveia, Grant, et. al.(2002) ascertain that, due to an increase in global emissions from transportation, there has been significant increases in the amounts of green house gasses such as N2O, CO2, halocarbons, water vapour (H2O), and methane which has in turn led to an increase on the average atmospheric global temperatures; a phenomenon commonly referred to as global warming. The environmental concern is that increases in global temperatures could lead to major variations in weather patterns resulting to varied unpredictable extreme global weather conditions. These could cause heat waves, floods, droughts, and generally altered physical and ecological processes. These would adversely affect all living things that inhabit the planet.

Studies have indicated air pollution has not only affects the environment, but has serious health effects as well TERP, (2008). Air pollution leads to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, increased mortality, impaired communication, increased annoyance, disturbed sleep, and a lowered academic performance. According to Krzyzanowski, Kuna-Dibbert, & Schneider, (2003), there is a direct link between proximity to heavy traffic and ill health. They further assert that, those living near, heavy traffics, airports, train stations, or sea ports show impaired reading ability, attention deficit and lower problem solving capability. Increased transportation has also led to at the adoption of sedentary lifestyle by the majority of population, especially in the developed world, leading to an increase in noncomunicable diseases hence early mortality. Furthermore, Ozone (O3) emitted during transportation has independently been associated to not only with a general reduction of lung function, but increased bronchial reactivity as well, Opotow, & Weiss, (2002).

Transportation is the major cause of noise pollution in both the developed and the developing world and both rural and the urban areas. Although road traffic is the major source of noise pollution, people living near airports, seaports and rail way lines are also exposed to considerable quantities of noise. Noise pollutes the environment through the emission of unwanted or excessive sound. The noise interferes with individuals lives such as sleep patterns and recreation, It also increases annoyance. Sources of noise associated with transportation are varied. Highway noise for example is a product of noise from engine operations, road-wheel contact, aerodynamic effects and a combination of other vibrating structures during motion. It is therefore imperative for relevant transport authorities to identify both the sources and impacts of transportation noise pollution, thereby implementing noise controlling measures.

Transportation also directly compromise human health through accidents. A considerable number of road, air, sea and rail accidents are experienced yearly, though it is road accidents that accounts for the most significant share of all transport accident. According to Krzyzanowski, Kuna-Dibbert, & Schneider, (2003), it is estimated that, there were 2 million road accidents with various injuries and deaths in 1995 in the European region alone. Such alarming statistics should be of great concern to humanity. Notably, transportation also has adverse effects on both plant and animal health. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Health Inspection service, APHIS, mandated by the US federal government to protect animal and plant health, several components of both diesel and petrol engine exhausts have been known to cause cancer in animals, APHIS, (2008).

Conclusively, unless meticulous research is undertaken, proper understanding gained and appropriate policies formulated and adopted, to regulate all forms of transportation, both the long and short terms health and environmental effects associated with transportation will continue to have detrimental affects on both the health of animals and plants and the environment as a whole. Control measures such as regulating motor vehicle emissions, changing traffic, installing insulation to curb noise pollution should be implemented to promote a healthy and sustainable transportation. Appropriate policies should also be adopted and implemented by various governments to harmonize transportation needs and the needs for health and environmental priorities.

References

APHIS, (2008) Animal Welfare Retrieved, September, 23rd, 2008

HYPERLINK “http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/index.shtml” http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/index.shtml

Bell, M., Davis, D., Cifuentes, L., Cohen, A., Gouveia, N. Grant, L. et. Al. (2002).

International Expert Workshop on the Analysis of the Economic and Public Health Impacts of Air Pollution: Workshop Summary.

Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 110 Number, 11

TERP, (2008) Program Information: US Department of Transportation. Federal

Highway Administration Transportation Environmental Research Program Retrieved, September, 23rd, 2008:

< HYPERLINK “http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/terp/prog.htm#119” http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/terp/prog.htm#119>

Krzyzanowski, M., Kuna-Dibbert, B., & Schneider, J. (2003) Health Effects of

Transport-related Air Pollution: Working paper presented to the World Health Organization Head Office in Europe.

Opotow, S. & Weiss, L. (2002) New Ways of Thinking about Environmentalism:

Denial and the Process of Moral Exclusion in Environmental Conflict

HYPERLINK “http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118510269/home” Journal of Social Issues, HYPERLINK “http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119036640/issue” Volume 56 Issue 3, Pages 475 – 490