Aug 27
American scientists discovered that living in a megalopolis is far more harmful than smoking. The negative health impact of urban air is equal to smoking of 300 cigarettes per day. Experts at the Louisiana State University found free radicals in polluted air. These radicals are harmful to the lungs and can cause cancer of different organs in healthy people without their having other disease risk factors.
In terms of negative health impact, free radicals can be compared to cigarette pitch, scientists say. So they conclude that urban air is far more unhealthy than tobacco.
Living in big city may result in asthma, emphysema and cancer. It is free radicals that cause these diseases in megalopolis residents.
August 29th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
It’s about time they start looking into the REAL cause of disease. Diesel fumes are far more harmful to the human body than cigarettes. But I guess no one’s going to make any money from trying to ban diesel as I don’t think we’ll need gum, patches, or pills to give up breathing diesel fumes!
August 29th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
pls. name the worst cities—like the top 20,30,50 or so PLEASE—I have daughters who are trying to decide where to make their homes.
August 29th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Hi, Terez,
if you mean the dirtiest cities, I’ve found the following information on forbes.com:
Chernobyl, Ukraine
Dzerzinsk, Russia
Haina, Dominican Republic
Kabwe, Zambia
La Oroya, Peru
Linfen, China
Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgyzstan
Norilsk, Russia
Ranipet, India
Rudnaya Pristan, Russia
This is top 10 dirtiest cities according to Forbes. You can visit their site yourself and find more information and even pictures of each of these cities.
Hope, this was useful. Although, maybe, it would be better to find top 10 best ones?