Concept about Air | CHAPTER 5 | Community Health Nursing

Concept about Air – This book covers the entire syllabus of “Neuron Community Health Nursing” prescribed by the Universities of Bangladesh- for Basic and diploma nursing students. We tried to accommodate latest information and topics.

This book is examination friendly setup according to the teachers’ lectures and examination’s questions. At the end of the book previous university questions are given. We hope in touch with the book students’ knowledge will be upgraded and flourished. The unique way of presentation may make your reading of the book a pleasurable experience.

Concept about Air

Definition of air

Air is a mechanical mixture of gases and not a chemical compound. The immediate environment of man comprises of air on which depends all forms of life.

Importance of air (Functions)

1. Supplying the life-giving oxygen which is necessary for tissue metabolism and body heat regulation.
2. The Human body is cooled by the air contact.
3. The special senses of hearing and smell function through air transmitted stimuli.
4. Disease agents may be conveyed by air.
5. Pollution of air by dust, smoke, toxic gases and chemical vapors has resulted in sickness and death of man.

Composition of Air:

Air is a mechanical mixture of gases. The normal composition of atmospheric air by volume is given in following; By volume, dry air contains

1. 78.09% nitrogen,
2. 20.95% oxygen,
3. 0.93% argon,
4. 0.04% carbon dioxide, and
5. Small amounts of other gases.

Air also contains a variable amount of water vapor, on average around 1% at sea level, and 0.4% over the entire atmosphere.

Natural purification of air

1. The wind: It dilutes, sweeps away or aspirates the impurities and replaced by pure air. Because of wind movement, impurities do not accumulate in any one place.

2 The rain: It washes the air and removes gaseous as well as suspended impurities.

3. Oxygen and Ozone: These oxidize the organic matter present in the air.

4. Sunlight: The atmospheric temperature and sunlight play their own part by oxidizing impurities and killing bacteria. The U-V rays of sunlight acts as disinfectant and kills the pathogens present in the air.

3. Plant life: The green plants utilize the carbon dioxide and generate oxygen; this process is reversed during the night time. These help in maintaining the O2 and CO2 balance in the

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