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The Effect of Air Pollution on Blackworm Skin Cells

The increased rate of air pollution has prompted negative effects to both humans and environment. The importance of reducing air pollution in the environment, specifically in the urban areas, would benefit the humans and environment to a large extent. Many Americans live in urban areas where urban pollutants like smog, dust, chemicals, and particle pollution exist. Air pollutants in any particular form of matter can cause both short-term and long-term effects to organisms and their habitats. While the effect of air quality on the respiratory system has been well-documented, increases in the concentration of pollutants into the atmosphere also damage skin. The human skin is the largest organ on the human body and acts to both sense stimuli from the external environment and as an external defense against as UV light radiation, cuts, allergic stimulants, and bacteria. However, testing the concentration of carbonic, sulfuric, and nitric acid developed from urban pollution as a form of acid rain on skin cells illustrates possible damages to DNA in skill cells that can result into harmful skin conditions. Studying the effect of air pollution on the skin cells of blackworms relates to concerns of the negative effects of poor air quality on skin health and possible occurrence of skin diseases.