nova_gteuk
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Car exhausts contain a range of toxic substances that can have a serious impact on health.
Once released into the air, these substances are breathed in and transported in the bloodstream to all the body's major organs.
Potentially dangerous vehicle emissions include:
Carbon monoxide
Nitrogen dioxide
Sulphur dioxide
Benzene
Formaldehyde
Polycyclic hydrocarbons
Lead
Tiny suspended particles
The most obvious health impact of car emissions is on the respiratory system.
It is estimated that air pollution - of which vehicle emissions are the major contributor - is responsible for 24,000 premature deaths in the UK every year.
Many of these deaths are due to asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases - all of which are known to be aggravated by exposure to car fumes.
A Dutch study, published in March, of 632 children aged 7 to 11 years found that respiratory disorders worsened as air pollution increased.
Tony Bosworth, pollution campaigner for the charity Friends of the Earth, said: "The medical mechanisms are still unclear, but there is a lot of evidence that pollution does contribute to many respiratory problems, and not just in people who already have an underlying condition."
Impact on blood
Pollution can cause breathing difficulties
Many pollutants produce harmful effects on the blood and the coronary system.
Researchers estimate that one in every 50 heart attacks in London are triggered by air pollution.
Lead, for instance, interferes with the normal formation of red blood cells by inhibiting important enzymes.
It also damaged red blood cell membrances and interferes with cell metabolism in a way that shortens the survival of each individual cell.
This can lead to anaemia - a shortage of blood cells - which can reduce the body's ability to circulate oxygen and vital nutrients.
Benzene has a suppressive effect on bone marrow and impairs the development of red blood cells.
Exposure to the chemical may result in a diminished number of blood cells - cytopenia - or total bone marrow loss.
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is similar to suffocation.
CO binds to the haemoglobin contained in red blood cells 200 times more effectively than oxygen, and so can dramatically reduce the ability of the cells to transport and release oxygen to the tissues of the body.
Toxic chemicals may also stimulate the immune system to attack the body's own tissues, particularly the cells that line human blood vessels.
The damage is initially slight, but it can build up with repetitive exposure to toxic substances and eventually lead to blockage of the blood vessels, increasing the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Central nervous system
Research has shown that exposure to lead can lead to behavioural changes.
It can also impair mental function, causing problems with learning and memory.
German research suggests that the impact of lead on the central nervous system may grow older with advancing age.
The immune system appears to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of pollution.
Substances such as benzene, nitrogen dioxide and small particulate matter interact with the immune system and may cause changes, ranging from overactive immune responses to immunosuppression.
Cause of cancer
Long-term exposure to Benzene has been shown to be linked to leukaemia.
It is also thought that the harmful impact that the chemical can have on the immune system may lower the body's defence against tumours.
Polycyclic hydrocarbons are also thought to be carcinogenic.
Several of these compounds have caused tumours in laboratory animals when they ate them, when they were applied to their skin, or when they breathed them in the air for long periods of time.
Studies in animals have also shown that polycyclic hydrocarbons can cause harmful effects on the skin and on body fluids.
24000 premature deaths every year in the uk? 
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Steve
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Registered: 30th Mar 02
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now wheres the stats for deaths caused by cigarettes?
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Rebecca
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By passive smoking though.
Not by smokers. As thats the arguement here.
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Steve
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The most recent estimates show that around 114000 people in the UK are killed by smoking every year, accounting for one fifth of all UK deaths.
kind of puts your car fume argument to bed
[Edited on 01-07-2007 by Steve]
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nova_gteuk
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any proof that passive smoking actually causes thesse problems though people can be born with heart diesease,diseases and illness and not develop symptoms till later on in life?
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Steve
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quote:
Originally posted by novabex
By passive smoking though.
Not by smokers. As thats the arguement here.
no because just as many car drivers could die fro fumes as anyone else so they will also be inlcuded in those stats, take out all car drivers who have died as a result of car fumes and youl be left with even less
does anyone have any brains?
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Rebecca
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quote:
Originally posted by Steve
The most recent estimates show that around 114000 people in the UK are killed by smoking every year, accounting for one fifth of all UK deaths.
kind of puts your car fume argument to bed
[Edited on 01-07-2007 by Steve]
Thats by smoking. Not passive smoking!
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nova_gteuk
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quote:
Originally posted by Steve
The most recent estimates show that around 114000 people in the UK are killed by smoking every year, accounting for one fifth of all UK deaths.
kind of puts your car fume argument to bed
[Edited on 01-07-2007 by Steve]
and not really when you then add the deaths in the uk caused by motorists 
so they ban smoking yet dont ban cars on the road? wonder why that is all that tax they would lose
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Steve
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bex i think you should stay quiet tbh because if we say only passive smoking stats then we must also say only stats from people that have died from car fumes that dont drive in which case will be hardly any, much less than passive smoking anyway
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nova_gteuk
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ok well find the deaths by passive smoking only?
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Rebecca
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Whats next... the sun gives you skin cancer. People are going to be banned from going outside!
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Pop
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Registered: 8th May 03
Location: Reading
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Christ this is a long thread and I've quickly skimmed through it so excuse my ignorance if it's already been covered.
Being a non-smoker I'm pleased at the ban but I understand why smokers are upset.
It might sound a stupid question but is there actually any benefit from smoking?
On the topic of cars creating toxic gases which harm people. Cars have become a necessary part of existence in a modern day society. To ban cars would be very detrimental to the worlds economy as the infrastructure of day to day life would be adversley affected. To combat this alternative modes of transport and alternative fueled cars are being developed. I don't see how cars have even been dragged into this thread.
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Steve
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quote:
Originally posted by novabex
Whats next... the sun gives you skin cancer. People are going to be banned from going outside!
you really dont get it do you?
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nova_gteuk
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In the population aged 65 or older, passive smoking is estimated to account for 16900 deaths annually.
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/passive/html/passive.html
a lot less than car fumes?
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Steve
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quote:
Originally posted by nova_gteuk
ok well find the deaths by passive smoking only?
i will if you find me the stats for people dying from car fumes that dont drdive cars 
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Rebecca
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I'm naturally blonde and female.
Of course not.
I'm just bored on a sunday afternoon and feel like chatting absolute crap.
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Steve
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Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
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quote:
Originally posted by nova_gteuk
In the population aged 65 or older, passive smoking is estimated to account for 16900 deaths annually.
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/passive/html/passive.html
a lot less than car fumes?
yes now find me the stats for people dying of car fumes that dont drive as thats the same comparison surely?
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Nath
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FFS, comparing car fumes to passive smoking. How pointless is that?!
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Steve
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clutching at straws nath, there is no real argument for it at all
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nova_gteuk
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Not really pointless,steve is whinging about people smoking,risking his health and other peoples when car's do exactly the same?
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Pop
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Location: Reading
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quote:
Originally posted by nova_gteuk
Not really pointless,steve is whinging about people smoking,risking his health and other peoples when car's do exactly the same?
But cars are necessary in todays society and smoking isn't
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Robin
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quote:
Originally posted by Pop
It might sound a stupid question but is there actually any benefit from smoking?
You could ask the same about drinking.
Smoking is a semi social thing TBH, you smoke more in the pub (or used to) when you were with other smokers, the same as you'd drink more.
It also supposedly relaxed you, but TBH, I don't think it does.
There's no real advantage to it, but there's no real advantage to drinking IMO
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nova_gteuk
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quote:
Originally posted by Pop
quote:
Originally posted by nova_gteuk
Not really pointless,steve is whinging about people smoking,risking his health and other peoples when car's do exactly the same?
But cars are necessary in todays society and smoking isn't
How is a car neccesary,its not at all i know people who dont drive and get on fine without a car?
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Steve
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DID YOU NOT HEAR ME WHEN I SAID COUNTLESS TIMES IN THIS THREAD THAT I HAVE TO DRIVE MY CAR FOR WORK
oops sorry bout caps
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topshot_2k
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Registered: 1st Dec 03
Location: Northampton Drives: Pug GTi-6
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quote:
Originally posted by Pop
quote:
Originally posted by nova_gteuk
Not really pointless,steve is whinging about people smoking,risking his health and other peoples when car's do exactly the same?
But cars are necessary in todays society and smoking isn't
you would have to stand in rush hour traffic for 24 hours a day for your life to have the same health impact
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