In many situations, the quality of the air we breathe can determine the state of our health. Polluted air can cause problems on a large scale, such as in Mexico City, Mexico; Beijing, China; and...

Though we usually blame that traditional hazards such as; poor sanitation conditions are
responsible for maximum environmentally associated illness burdens, yet Modern Environmental
Health Hazards (MEHHs) can also not be ignored in this context since; according to
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these are the critical contributors in development of
diseases. Researchers also demonstrate that continuing ecological discharges of MEHHs, and
human contacts can also be reached up to toxicological levels. Several epidemiologic, exposure,
and ecological research studies indicate that agents for example; dust play a significant role in
induction as well as progression of illnesses such as; Asthma (Gannon et al., 1993).
Asthma may occur owing to settling of dust particles in respiratory system which can
result in contraction of the upper respiratory passage, and may lead a person towards breathing
problem. The airborne agents responsible for Asthma may be kept in biological as well as non-
biological category. For instance; in biological agents of Asthma we might include grains,
woods, and feathers etc whereas; in non-biological agents we may involve chlorofluorocarbons,
welding fumes and so on. Though, this illness can occur because of occupational as well as non-
occupational reasons, but we would focus here on its occupational causes since; these are chiefly
responsible for it, and are needed to be controlled in an effective manner (Newman, 1980).
Occupational asthma may be characterized by restricted airflow or bronchial hyper
responsiveness linked to workplace exposures, and can also be called the most common job-
related respiratory disorder in developed countries the incidence of which is either constant or
rising (Venables, 1994).
According to American Thoracic Society, about 15% asthma might occur due to
occupational exposure. A research study performed in USA defines that approximately 15% of
the fatality related with nonmalignant, occupational, respiratory illness was because of asthma.
While, another research study performed in Finland has concluded that mortality rate due to
occupational Asthma is approximately 17% for females, and 29% for males. In United Kingdom,
around 1000 cases of occupational asthma are identified each year, and it is believed that many
more cases are liable to be neglected. Surveys in Japan also propose that 15% of asthma in the
country is related with occupation. Such assessments establish that occupational Asthma is a
global problem, and can be considered as; a major cause of fatality throughout the world (Klees
et al., 1990).
Analysis of above data may not only prove to be helpful in getting an idea about the
severity of disease, but also indicates towards the necessity of exploring solution for the same. In
fact, this type of assessment of disease...