Breathing polluted air in California alone has caused 30,000 hospital visits and approximately $325 million in insurance money. Throughout the world, trillions of dollars are spent every year trying to fight diseases caused by contaminated air. The most common symptoms caused by breathing polluted air for a short period of time include chest pain, cough, nausea and lung congestion. Illnesses caused by breathing contaminated air for long periods of time include asthma, influenza, reproductive and neurological disorders