The Impact of Fine Particulate Outdoor Air Pollution to Premature Mortality

ObjectivesTo examine the impact of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in March/April 2020 on concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution measured at roadside monitors across Scotland by comparing data with previous years.MethodsPublicly available data of PM2.5 concentrations from reference monitoring systems at sites across Scotland were extracted for the 31-day period immediately following the imposition of lockdown rules on 23 March 2020. Similar data for 2017, 2018 and 2019 were gathered for comparison. Mean period values were calculated from the hourly data and logged values compared using pairwise t-tests. Weather effects were corrected using meteorological normalisation.ResultsNO2 concentrations were significantly lower in the 2020 lockdown period than in the previous 3 years (p<0.001). Mean outdoor PM2.5 concentrations in 2020 were much lower than during the same period in 2019 (p<0.001). However, despite UK motor vehicle journeys reducing by 65%, concentrations in 2020 were within 1 µg/m3 of those measured in 2017 (p=0.66) and 2018 (p<0.001), suggesting that traffic-related emissions may not explain variability of PM2.5 in outdoor air in Scotland.ConclusionsThe impact of reductions in motor vehicle journeys during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions may not have reduced ambient PM2.5 concentrations in some countries. There is also a need for work to better understand how movement restrictions may have impacted personal exposure to air pollutants generated within indoor environments.

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Population exposure to outdoor air pollution by fine particulate matter, OECD average (PM2.5)

How's Life? 2017 - How's Life? ◽

10.1787/how_life-2017-graph190-en ◽

2017 ◽

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Particulate Matter ◽

Fine Particulate Matter ◽

Population Exposure ◽

Outdoor Air ◽

Outdoor Air Pollution ◽

Fine Particulate

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A systematic review of the evidence of outdoor air pollution on asthma hospital visits in children and adolescents in South Asia – a call for data

Wellcome Open Research ◽

10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16991.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 174

Author(s):

Sowmya Malamardi ◽

Katrina A. Lambert ◽

Mehak Batra ◽

Rachel Tham ◽

Mahesh Padukudru Anand ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Air Pollution ◽

South Asia ◽

Childhood Asthma ◽

Hospital Treatment ◽

Childhood And Adolescence ◽

Outdoor Air ◽

Qualitative Synthesis ◽

Outdoor Air Pollution ◽

The Impact

Background: Outdoor air pollution and childhood asthma are increasing problems in South Asian countries. However, little is known about the associations between levels of air pollution and severe childhood asthma requiring hospital treatment in these regions. Methods: We undertook a systematic review to assess the evidence between outdoor air pollution exposure and childhood and adolescent asthma hospitalization in South Asia. MEDLINE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, ProQuest Central databases were searched for peer-reviewed papers, and examination of reference lists was conducted for additional studies. We identified all the literature published in English up to January 2021 for the study population comprised of children aged less than 19 years. The search strategy was designed to identify all the studies and screen them as per the inclusion criteria. The method of qualitative synthesis using the standard tool determined the comprehensiveness of the assessment of bias. Results: Of the original 367 studies screened three studies were ultimately included from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and a narrative synthesis was conducted. Although studies reported adverse effects of outdoor pollution on asthma hospitalizations, limitations in exposure assessments, varying definitions of asthma hospitalizations and limited data analysis were identified. Conclusions: There is currently limited evidence that can provide meaningful risk estimates of the impact of outdoor air pollution on asthma hospitalizations during childhood and adolescence. Studies with comparable outcome definitions, appropriate exposure assessments and study designs are needed to inform future public and environmental health policy. PROSPERO registration: CRD42020156714 (28/04/2020)

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Exposure to outdoor air pollution and its human-related health outcomes: an evidence gap map

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031312 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. e031312 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Zhuanlan Sun ◽

Demi Zhu

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Future Research ◽

Outdoor Air ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Study Region ◽

Outdoor Air Pollution ◽

Air Pollution Exposure ◽

Pollution Exposure ◽

The Impact

ObjectivesOutdoor air pollution is a serious environmental problem worldwide. Current systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) mostly focused on some specific health outcomes or some specific air pollution.DesignThis evidence gap map (EGM) is to identify existing gaps from SRs and MAs and report them in broad topic areas.Data sourcesPubMed, Cochrane, Scopus and Web of Science were searched from their inception until June 2018. Citations and reference lists were traced.Eligibility criteriaSRs and MAs that investigated the impact of outdoor air pollution on human health outcomes were collected. This study excluded original articles and qualitative review articles.Data extraction and synthesisCharacteristics of the included SRs and MAs were extracted and summarised. Extracted data included authors, publication year, location of the corresponding author(s), publication journal discipline, study design, study duration, sample size, study region, target population, types of air pollution and health outcomes.ResultsAsia and North America published 93% of SRs and MAs included in this EGM. 31% of the SRs and MAs (27/86) included primary studies conducted in 5–10 countries. Their publication trends have increased during the last 10 years. A total of 2864 primary studies was included. The median number of included primary studies was 20 (range, 7–167). Cohort studies, case cross-over studies and time-series studies were the top three most used study designs. The mostly researched population was the group of all ages (46/86, 53%). Cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and health service records were mostly reported. A lack of definite diagnostic criteria, unclear reporting of air pollution exposure and time period of primary studies were the main research gaps.ConclusionsThis EGM provided a visual overview of health outcomes affected by outdoor air pollution exposure. Future research should focus on chronic diseases, cancer and mental disorders.

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Global premature mortality due to anthropogenic outdoor air pollution and the contribution of past climate change

Environmental Research Letters ◽

10.1088/1748-9326/8/3/034005 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 034005 ◽

Cited By ~ 231

Author(s):

Raquel A Silva ◽

J Jason West ◽

Yuqiang Zhang ◽

Susan C Anenberg ◽

Jean-François Lamarque ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Premature Mortality ◽

Outdoor Air ◽

Past Climate ◽

Outdoor Air Pollution ◽

Past Climate Change

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A Prevalence Study on Outdoor Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases in Children in Zasavje, Slovenia, as a Lever to Trigger Evidence-based Environmental Health Activities

Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology ◽

10.2478/10004-1254-64-2013-2165 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 64 (1) ◽

pp. 9-22

Author(s):

Andreja Kukec ◽

Jerneja Farkas ◽

Ivan Erzen ◽

Lijana Zaletel-Kragelj

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Local Environment ◽

Prevalence Study ◽

Mutual Understanding ◽

Outdoor Air ◽

Chronic Respiratory Diseases ◽

Outdoor Air Pollution ◽

High Pollution ◽

The Impact

The aim of this study was to estimate the population burden of respiratory diseases in the Zasavje region of Slovenia that can be attributed to outdoor air pollution in order to gain relevant grounds for evidencebased public health activities. In 2008, 981 schoolchildren (age 6 to 12 years) were observed in a prevalence study. The prevalence of chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) and frequent acute respiratory symptoms (FARS) was related to the level of outdoor air pollution in the local environment (low, moderate and high pollution areas). Logistic regression was used as a method for statistical analysis. The prevalence of CRD was 3.0 % in low pollution areas, 7.5 % in moderate pollution areas, and 9.7 % in high pollution areas (p=0.005). After adjustment for the effects of confounders, 2.91-times higher odds for CRD were registered in high pollution areas in comparison to low pollution areas (p=0.017). The prevalence of FARS was: 7.8 % in low pollution areas, 13.3 % in moderate pollution areas and 15.9 % in high pollution areas (p=0.010). After adjustment for the effects of confounders, 2.02-times higher odds for FARS were registered in high pollution areas in comparison to low pollution areas (p=0.023). The study confirmed a significantly higher prevalence of CRD and FARS in children living in high pollution areas of Zasavje. These results at least partially prompted mutual understanding and cross-sectoral cooperation - prerequisites for solving complex problems involving the impact of air pollution on health.

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The long term effects of outdoor air pollution in urban environments on cardiovascular health: a global review

CommonHealth ◽

10.15367/ch.v2i3.493 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 122-133

Author(s):

Lindsay Kraus ◽

Heather Murphy

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Cardiovascular Diseases ◽

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Outdoor Air ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Outdoor Air Pollution ◽

The Impact

The effect of air pollution on health is listed as a significant cause of death worldwide. Slightly over 3 million deaths per year are due to outdoor air pollution. Studies have shown that short term increases in exposure to particulate matter have increased the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure. However, less is known about the longer term effects of air pollution on various cardiovascular diseases. The American Heart Association formally recognized PM2.5 as a significant cardiovascular risk factor in 2010. Since then, more prolonged term exposure to air pollution has been suggested to cause chronic cardiometabolic and cardiovascular problems. The effects of long term (>3 years) air pollution are significant, but not as much is known about how location affects this exposure. Associations with cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors are often increased in urban settings, which is attributed to a higher concentrations of outdoor air pollution, independent of ethnic groups and seasonal changes. Potential causes of long term air pollution concentrations in cities or metropolitan areas come from traffic exposure and traffic intensity. The Environmental Protection Agency and United Nations have suggested changes in air quality standards, implementation plans, and ways to reduce vehicle emissions specifically to improve human health and reduce the adverse effects of air pollution; however, more work still needs to be done. This review assesses the impact of the global long term (>3 years) air pollution exposure, specifically in urban environments on cardiovascular health and disease.

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