scholarly journals Air Pollution Exposure in Relation to the Commute to School: A Bradford UK Case Study

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim N. Dirks ◽  
Judith Y. T. Wang ◽  
Amirul Khan ◽  
Christopher Rushton
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Road Safety ◽  
Ultrafine Particle ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Safe Alternative ◽  
The Road ◽  
Air Pollution Exposure ◽  
Pollution Exposure ◽  
Walking To School

Walking School Buses (WSBs) provide a safe alternative to being driven to school. Children benefit from the contribution the exercise provides towards their daily exercise target, it gives children practical experience with respect to road safety and helps to relieve traffic congestion around the entrance to their school. Walking routes are designed largely based in road safety considerations, catchment need and the availability of parent support. However, little attention is given to the air pollution exposure experienced by children during their journey to school, despite the commuting microenvironment being an important contributor to a child’s daily air pollution exposure. This study aims to quantify the air pollution exposure experienced by children walking to school and those being driven by car. A school was chosen in Bradford, UK. Three adult participants carried out the journey to and from school each carrying a P-Trak ultrafine particle (UFP) count monitor. One participant travelled the journey to school by car while the other two walked, each on opposite sides of the road for the majority of the journey. Data collection was carried out over a period of two weeks, for a total of five journeys to school in the morning and five on the way home at the end of the school day. Results of the study suggest that car commuters experience lower levels of air pollution dose due to lower exposures and reduced commute times. The largest reductions in exposure for pedestrians can be achieved by avoiding close proximity to traffic queuing up to intersections, and, where possible, walking on the side of the road opposite the traffic, especially during the morning commuting period. Major intersections should also be avoided as they were associated with peak exposures. Steps to ensure that the phasing of lights is optimized to minimize pedestrian waiting time would also help reduce exposures. If possible, busy roads should be avoided altogether. By the careful design of WSB routes, taking into account air pollution, children will be able to experience the benefits that walking to school brings while minimizing their air pollution exposure during their commute to and from school.

scholarly journals Air Pollution Exposure in Walking School Bus Routes: A New Zealand Case Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Dirks ◽  
Jennifer Salmond ◽  
Nicholas Talbot
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Ultrafine Particle ◽  
School Buses ◽  
The Road ◽  
Air Pollution Exposure ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Pollution Exposure

Walking School Buses (WSBs), organized groups for children to walk to school under the supervision of adults, help reduce traffic congestion and contribute towards exercise. Routes are based largely on need, traffic safety and travel time, with exposure to air pollution not generally considered. This paper explores whether reductions in exposure can be achieved based on the side of the road travelled using data collected in Auckland, New Zealand. Exposure to air pollution was measured for a 25-min commute consisting of a 10-min segment along a quiet cul-de-sac and a 15-min segment along a main arterial road with traffic congestion heavier in one direction. Two participants were each equipped with a portable P-Trak ultrafine particle monitor and a portable Langan carbon monoxide monitor, and walked the route on opposite sides of the road simultaneously, for both morning and afternoon, logging 10-s data. The results suggest that pedestrians travelling on the footpath next to the less congested side of the road in the morning avoid many short-term peaks in concentration and experience significantly lower mean exposures than those travelling on the footpath next to the more congested side. Significant reductions in air pollution exposure could be made for children by taking into account the side of the road in WSB route design.

scholarly journals The mortality impact of bicycle paths and lanes related to physical activity, air pollution exposure and road safety

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 460-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Schepers ◽  
Elliot Fishman ◽  
Rob Beelen ◽  
Eva Heinen ◽  
Wim Wijnen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Road Safety ◽  
Air Pollution Exposure ◽  
Pollution Exposure

scholarly journals Differential Effect of Ambient Air Pollution Exposure on Risk of Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia

Hypertension ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 384-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie J. Nobles ◽  
Andrew Williams ◽  
Marion Ouidir ◽  
Seth Sherman ◽  
Pauline Mendola
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Differential Effect ◽  
Gestational Hypertension ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Air Pollution Exposure ◽  
Pollution Exposure

Maternal air pollution exposure increases the risk of preterm birth: Evidence from the meta-analysis of cohort studies

2021 ◽  
pp. 111654
Author(s):  
Liangliang Ju ◽  
Changlian Li ◽  
Mei Yang ◽  
Shu Sun ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Air Pollution Exposure ◽  
Pollution Exposure

scholarly journals Maternal immune response and air pollution exposure during pregnancy: insights from the Early Markers for Autism (EMA) study

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather E. Volk ◽  
Bo Park ◽  
Calliope Hollingue ◽  
Karen L. Jones ◽  
Paul Ashwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Prenatal Screening ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Maternal Immune Activation ◽  
Early Markers ◽  
Air Pollution Exposure ◽  
Pollution Exposure ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Perinatal exposure to air pollution and immune system dysregulation are two factors consistently associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, little is known about how air pollution may influence maternal immune function during pregnancy. Objectives To assess the relationship between mid-gestational circulating levels of maternal cytokines/chemokines and previous month air pollution exposure across neurodevelopmental groups, and to assess whether cytokines/chemokines mediate the relationship between air pollution exposures and risk of ASD and/or intellectual disability (ID) in the Early Markers for Autism (EMA) study. Methods EMA is a population-based, nested case–control study which linked archived maternal serum samples collected during weeks 15–19 of gestation for routine prenatal screening, birth records, and Department of Developmental Services (DDS) records. Children receiving DDS services for ASD without intellectual disability (ASD without ID; n = 199), ASD with ID (ASD with ID; n = 180), ID without ASD (ID; n = 164), and children from the general population (GP; n = 414) with no DDS services were included in this analysis. Serum samples were quantified for 22 cytokines/chemokines using Luminex multiplex analysis technology. Air pollution exposure for the month prior to maternal serum collection was assigned based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System data using the maternal residential address reported during the prenatal screening visit. Results Previous month air pollution exposure and mid-gestational maternal cytokine and chemokine levels were significantly correlated, though weak in magnitude (ranging from − 0.16 to 0.13). Ten pairs of mid-pregnancy immune markers and previous month air pollutants were significantly associated within one of the child neurodevelopmental groups, adjusted for covariates (p < 0.001). Mid-pregnancy air pollution was not associated with any neurodevelopmental outcome. IL-6 remained associated with ASD with ID even after adjusting for air pollution exposure. Conclusion This study suggests that maternal immune activation is associated with risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Furthermore, that prenatal air pollution exposure is associated with small, but perhaps biologically relevant, effects on maternal immune system function during pregnancy. Additional studies are needed to better evaluate how prenatal exposure to air pollution affects the trajectory of maternal immune activation during pregnancy, if windows of heightened susceptibility can be identified, and how these factors influence neurodevelopment of the offspring.

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