According to the American Institute of Stress, stress is a feeling you experience when you believe that the demands placed upon you are greater than the personal and social resources you're able to mobilize. While both good stress and bad stress exist, most people view stress to be something that provokes feelings of distress. Stress can come from many sources, including environmental sources such as air pollution, temperature extremes and excessive exposure to noise.
Air Pollution
Environmental stress, including pollution, may not provoke the same feelings of distress that a stressful job or a demanding boss may provoke, but it does place a burden on your body's systems that can be cumulative and injurious. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the amount of air pollution you're exposed to taxes your lungs and heart, challenges your primary organs of elimination, and can cause headaches and even premature death in some instances. The UCS states that, each year, burning coal---which is a leading cause of smog, acid rain, global warming and toxins in the air---generates 3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 500 tons of small airborne particles, 10,200 tons of nitrogen oxide, 720 tons of carbon monoxide and 170 pounds of mercury. Your exposure to air pollution can have a significant effect on your health and your body burden, which is the total amount of chemical, metal or radioactive substances present in your body at any time, according to Biology-Online.org.
Thermal Stress
Your body systems can be taxed or burdened by temperature extremes, according to the state of Montana's Occupational Safety and Health Bureau. In some parts of the United States, including Montana, workers may be exposed to extreme outdoor temperatures, ranging from -40 degrees F to 100 degrees F. In other parts of the country, if you're an indoor worker, especially if you work in a smelting or mining plant, a foundry, a bakery, or in a brick firing and ceramic operation, you may be exposed to high-heat situations that cause your body to experience thermal stress. You're likely to experience some degree of thermal stress if your job involves work in refrigerator rooms or freezers. Using some types of personal protective equipment, or PPE, also may increase your risk of experiencing heat stress. If PPE use is required for your job, consider talking with your employer about appropriate work-rest cycles to reduce your likelihood of experiencing thermal stress, as the fatigue and carelessness caused by thermal stress can increase your risk of having a workplace accident.
Noise Pollution
According to a 2003 study published in the British Medical Bulletin, noise pollution may cause you to experience feelings of annoyance, sleep and cognitive impairment, and elevated blood pressure. The National Association of Noise Control Officials states that excessive exposure to noise is considered to be a biological stressor and a health risk because it may contribute to the development or exacerbation of stress-related conditions, such as hypertension, coronary disease, ulcers, colitis and migraine headaches. NANCO also cites studies that suggest that noise pollution may be associated with birth defects and low birth-weight babies, and that excessive exposure to noise can increase your susceptibility to viral infection and environmental toxins. Loud sounds trigger a stress arousal or "fight or flight" response, which causes your body to release adrenalin into your bloodstream. Your heart rate, blood pressure and respiration increase, and your digestive processes are temporarily inhibited. Your blood vessels narrow or constrict and you muscles become tense.
References
- American Institute of Stress: Definition of Stress
- Union of Concerned Scientists: Environmental Impacts of Coal Power: Air Pollution
- Biology-Online.org: Body Burden
- State of Montana Occupational Safety and Health Bureau: Thermal Stress
- British Medical Bulletin; Noise Pollution: Nonauditory Effects on Health; 2003
