scholarly journals Ambient and household air pollution: complex triggers of disease

2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (4) ◽  
pp. H467-H476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Farmer ◽  
Timothy D. Nelin ◽  
Michael J. Falvo ◽  
Loren E. Wold
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

Concentrations of outdoor air pollution are on the rise, particularly due to rapid urbanization worldwide. Alternatively, poor ventilation, cigarette smoke, and other toxic chemicals contribute to rising concentrations of indoor air pollution. The World Health Organization recently reported that deaths attributable to indoor and outdoor air pollutant exposure are more than double what was originally documented. Epidemiological, clinical, and animal data have demonstrated a clear connection between rising concentrations of air pollution (both indoor and outdoor) and a host of adverse health effects. During the past five years, animal, clinical, and epidemiological studies have explored the adverse health effects associated with exposure to both indoor and outdoor air pollutants throughout the various stages of life. This review provides a summary of the detrimental effects of air pollution through examination of current animal, clinical, and epidemiological studies and exposure during three different periods: maternal (in utero), early life, and adulthood. Additionally, we recommend future lines of research while suggesting conceivable strategies to curb exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollutants.

scholarly journals Premature Adult Mortality and Years of Life Lost Attributed to Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter Pollution and Potential for Mitigating Adverse Health Effects in Tuzla and Lukavac, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1107
Author(s):  
Vlatka Matkovic ◽  
Maida Mulić ◽  
Selma Azabagić ◽  
Marija Jevtić
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
World Health ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health

Ambient air pollution is one of eight global risk factors for deaths and accounts for 38.44 all causes death rates attributable to ambient PM pollution, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is 58.37. We have estimated health endpoints and possible gains if two policy scenarios were implemented and air pollution reduction achieved. Real-world health and recorded PM pollution data for 2018 were used for assessing the health impacts and possible gains. Calculations were performed with WHO AirQ+ software against two scenarios with cut-off levels at country-legal values and WHO air quality recommendations. Ambient PM2.5 pollution is responsible for 16.20% and 22.77% of all-cause mortality among adults in Tuzla and Lukavac, respectively. Our data show that life expectancy could increase by 2.1 and 2.4 years for those cities. In the pollution hotspots, in reality, there is a wide gap in what is observed and the implementation of the legally binding air quality limit values and, thus, adverse health effects. Considerable health gains and life expectancy are possible if legal or health scenarios in polluted cities were achieved. This estimate might be useful in providing additional health burden evidence as a key component for a clean air policy and action plans.

scholarly journals TUBE Project: Transport-Derived Ultrafines and the Brain Effects

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 311
Author(s):  
Maria-Viola Martikainen ◽  
Päivi Aakko-Saksa ◽  
Lenie van den Broek ◽  
Flemming R. Cassee ◽  
Roxana O. Carare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
The Brain

The adverse effects of air pollutants on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are unquestionable. However, in recent years, indications of effects beyond these organ systems have become more evident. Traffic-related air pollution has been linked with neurological diseases, exacerbated cognitive dysfunction, and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the exact air pollutant compositions and exposure scenarios leading to these adverse health effects are not known. Although several components of air pollution may be at play, recent experimental studies point to a key role of ultrafine particles (UFPs). While the importance of UFPs has been recognized, almost nothing is known about the smallest fraction of UFPs, and only >23 nm emissions are regulated in the EU. Moreover, the role of the semivolatile fraction of the emissions has been neglected. The Transport-Derived Ultrafines and the Brain Effects (TUBE) project will increase knowledge on harmful ultrafine air pollutants, as well as semivolatile compounds related to adverse health effects. By including all the major current combustion and emission control technologies, the TUBE project aims to provide new information on the adverse health effects of current traffic, as well as information for decision makers to develop more effective emission legislation. Most importantly, the TUBE project will include adverse health effects beyond the respiratory system; TUBE will assess how air pollution affects the brain and how air pollution particles might be removed from the brain. The purpose of this report is to describe the TUBE project, its background, and its goals.

scholarly journals Review of epidemiological studies on air pollution and health effects in children

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11
Author(s):  
Jong-Tae Lee
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes ◽  
Critical Window ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health

There is a growing body of literature on the adverse health effects of ambient air pollution. Children are more adversely affected by air pollution due to their biological susceptibility and exposure patterns. This review summarized the accumulated epidemiologic evidence with emphasis on studies conducted in Korea and heterogeneity in the literature. Based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses, there is consistent evidence on the association between exposure to ambient air pollution and children’s health, especially respiratory health and adverse birth outcomes, and growing evidence on neurodevelopmental outcomes. Despite these existing studies, the mechanism of the adverse health effects of air pollution and the critical window of susceptibility remain unclear. There is also a need to identify causes of heterogeneity between studies in terms of measurement of exposure/outcome, study design, and the differential characteristics of air pollutants and population.

Adverse health effects of outdoor air pollutants

2006 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 815-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Curtis ◽  
William Rea ◽  
Patricia Smith-Willis ◽  
Ervin Fenyves ◽  
Yaqin Pan
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health

scholarly journals New Opportunities to Mitigate the Burden of Disease Caused by Traffic Related Air Pollution: Antioxidant-Rich Diets and Supplements

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Barthelemy ◽  
Kristen Sanchez ◽  
Mark R. Miller ◽  
Haneen Khreis
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Preventive Measure ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Antioxidant Intake ◽  
Antioxidant Supplements

Air pollution is associated with premature mortality and a wide spectrum of diseases. Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is one of the most concerning sources of air pollution for human exposure and health. Until TRAP levels can be significantly reduced on a global scale, there is a need for effective shorter-term strategies to prevent the adverse health effects of TRAP. A growing number of studies suggest that increasing antioxidant intake, through diet or supplementation, may reduce this burden of disease. In this paper, we conducted a non-systematic literature review to assess the available evidence on antioxidant-rich diets and antioxidant supplements as a strategy to mitigate adverse health effects of TRAP in human subjects. We identified 11 studies that fit our inclusion criteria; 3 of which investigated antioxidant-rich diets and 8 of which investigated antioxidant supplements. Overall, we found consistent evidence that dietary intake of antioxidants from adherence to the Mediterranean diet and increased fruit and vegetable consumption is effective in mitigating adverse health effects associated with TRAP. In contrast, antioxidant supplements, including fish oil, olive oil, and vitamin C and E supplements, presented conflicting evidence. Further research is needed to determine why antioxidant supplementation has limited efficacy and whether this relates to effective dose, supplement formulation, timing of administration, or population being studied. There is also a need to better ascertain if susceptible populations, such as children, the elderly, asthmatics and occupational workers consistently exposed to TRAP, should be recommended to increase their antioxidant intake to reduce their burden of disease. Policymakers should consider increasing populations’ antioxidant intake, through antioxidant-rich diets, as a relatively cheap and easy preventive measure to lower the burden of disease associated with TRAP.

scholarly journals Protective Effect of Breastfeeding on the Adverse Health Effects Induced by Air Pollution: Current Evidence and Possible Mechanisms

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zielinska ◽  
Hamulka
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Protective Effect ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Under Five ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Air Pollution Exposure ◽  
Pollution Exposure

Air pollution is a major social, economic, and health problem around the world. Children are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of air pollution due to their immaturity and excessive growth and development. The aims of this narrative review were to: (1) summarize evidence about the protective effects of breastfeeding on the adverse health effects of air pollution exposure, (2) define and describe the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of breastfeeding, and (3) examine the potential effects of air pollution on breastmilk composition and lactation. A literature search was conducted using electronic databases. Existing evidence suggests that breastfeeding has a protective effect on adverse outcomes of indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure in respiratory (infections, lung function, asthma symptoms) and immune (allergic, nervous and cardiovascular) systems, as well as under-five mortality in both developing and developed countries. However, some studies reported no protective effect of breastfeeding or even negative effects of breastfeeding for under-five mortality. Several possible mechanisms of the breastfeeding protective effect were proposed, including the beneficial influence of breastfeeding on immune, respiratory, and nervous systems, which are related to the immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and neuroprotective properties of breastmilk. Breastmilk components responsible for its protective effect against air pollutants exposure may be long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFA), antioxidant vitamins, carotenoids, flavonoids, immunoglobins, and cytokines, some of which have concentrations that are diet-dependent. However, maternal exposure to air pollution is related to increased breastmilk concentrations of pollutants (e.g., Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or heavy metals in particulate matter (PM)). Nonetheless, environmental studies have confirmed that breastmilk’s protective effects outweigh its potential health risk to the infant. Mothers should be encouraged and supported to breastfeed their infants due to its unique health benefits, as well as its limited ecological footprint, which is associated with decreased waste production and the emission of pollutants.

scholarly journals Air Pollution as a Cause of Obesity: Micro-Level Evidence from Chinese Cities

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiming Yang ◽  
Qianhao Song ◽  
Jing Li ◽  
Yunquan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particle Size ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Multinomial Logit Model ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Individual Vulnerability ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Chinese air pollution is obviously increasing, and the government makes efforts to strengthen air pollution treatment. Although adverse health effects gradually emerge, research determining individual vulnerability is limited. This study estimated the relationship between air pollution and obesity. Individual information of 13,414 respondents from 125 cities is used in the analysis. This study employs ordinary least squares (OLS) and multinomial logit model (m-logit) to estimate the impact of air pollution on obesity. We choose different air pollution and Body Mass Index (BMI) indicators for estimation. Empirical results show Air Quality Index (AQI) is significantly positively associated with the BMI score. As AQI adds one unit, the BMI score increases 0.031 (SE = 0.002; p < 0.001). The influence coefficients of particle size smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), particle size smaller than 10 μm (PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) to the BMI score are 0.034 (SE = 0.002; p < 0.001), 0.023 (SE = 0.001; p < 0.001), 0.52 (SE = 0.095; p < 0.001), 0.045 (SE = 0.004; p < 0.001), 0.021 (SE = 0.002; p < 0.001), 0.008 (SE = 0.003; p = 0.015), respectively. Generally, air pollution has an adverse effect on body weight. CO is the most influential pollutant, and female, middle-aged, and low-education populations are more severely affected. The results confirm that the adverse health effects of air pollution should be considered when making the air pollution policies. Findings also provide justification for health interventions, especially for people with obesity.

Impact of improved cookstoves on indoor air pollution and adverse health effects among Honduran women

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 357-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maggie L. Clark ◽  
Jennifer L. Peel ◽  
James B. Burch ◽  
Tracy L. Nelson ◽  
Matthew M. Robinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health

Indoor Air Pollution and Adverse Health Effects Among Honduran Women

Epidemiology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (Suppl) ◽  
pp. S351-S352
Author(s):  
M L. Clark ◽  
J L. Peel ◽  
T L. Nelson ◽  
J R. Stevens ◽  
S Conway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health

scholarly journals Estimates of PI*S and PI*Z Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency alleles prevalence in the Caribbean and North, Central and South America

2016 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
F.J. De Serres ◽  
I. Blanco ◽  
E. Fernández-Bustillo
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
South America ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Genetic Disorder ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
North Central ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
The Caribbean

Background. AAT deficiency is not a rare disease, but one of the most common congenital disorders increasing susceptibility of individuals with this deficiency to both lung and liver disease as well as other several adverse health effects. Studies to develop accurate estimates of the magnitude of this genetic disorder in any given country is critical for the development of screening programs for detection, diagnosis, and treatment of those individuals and/or families at risk. In the present study, estimates of the prevalence of the two major deficiency alleles PI S and PI Z were estimated for 25 countries in the Caribbean and North, Central, and South America to supplement our previous studies on 69 countries worldwide. Method. Using data on the prevalence of the two most common deficiency alleles PI S and PIZ in the mother countries that provided the majority of immigrants to these 25 countries, as well as genetic epidemiological studies on various genetic subgroups indigenous to the Caribbean and North, Central and South America it was possible to develop new formulas to estimate the numbers in each of five phenotypic classes, namely PI MS, PI MZ, PI SS, PI SZ and PI ZZ for each country. Results. When these 25 countries were grouped into six different geographic regions, the present study demonstrated striking differences when comparisons were made in numeric tables, maps and figures. Highly significant numbers of individuals at risk for AAT Deficiency were found in both the European, Mestizo and Mulatto populations for most of the 25 countries studied in the Caribbean and North, Central and South America. Conclusions. Our studies demonstrated striking differences in the prevalence of both the PIS and PIZ alleles among these 25 countries in the Caribbean and North, Central and South America and significant numbers of individuals at risk for adverse health effects associated with AAT Deficiency in a given country. When these data are added to the results from our earlier studies on 69 countries, we now have data on AAT Deficiency in 94 of the 193 countries worldwide listed in the CIA FactBook.

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