scholarly journals Comparison of Metropolitan Cities for Mortality Rates Attributed to Ambient Air Pollution Within the Context of SDGs Using the AirQ Model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmet Cihat Kahraman ◽  
Nüket Sivri
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
World Health ◽  
Marmara Region ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Limit Values ◽  
Metropolitan Cities ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In the present study, the air pollution dynamics of the metropolitan cities of Balıkesir, Bursa, İstanbul, Kocaeli, Sakarya and Tekirdağ in the Marmara Region, which is the geographical region with the highest urban and industrial activity in Turkey, were examined for the time period between 2016 and 2019. Annual changes in the cities in terms of air pollution, which was examined with a focus on the PM2.5 parameter as indicated by United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), differences in the cities by years, and the seasonal changes in air pollution in the cities were investigated. Additionally, mortality rates attributed to air pollution were calculated with the AirQ+ software based on integrated exposure-response function recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN using city-scale statistics of fatal disease cases that can be attributed to air pollution. It was determined that all cities in the Marmara Region study area exceeded the limit PM2,5 values specified by the European Union (EU) in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018 while only Kocaeli and Tekirdağ were below the limit values in 2019. The limit values specified by the WHO were exceeded in all cities in each year. A total of 46.920 premature deaths attributed to the exceedance of WHO limit values were calculated for the years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 with 11.895, 13.853, 11.748 and 9.429, respectively.Determining national limit values for the PM2.5 parameter, which is among the most important factors of air pollution, and monitoring it in a sustainable manner using a sufficient number of well-equipped stations is of great importance. This way, national, regional and urban action plans regarding the impact of air pollution on human health, as indicated by UN SDGs, can be prepared.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Health and Wealth Benefits of Reducing Point Source Pollution: The Case of the Sugar Industry in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13252
Author(s):  
Sanaullah Panezai ◽  
Ubaid Ali ◽  
Alam Zeb ◽  
Muhammad Rafiq ◽  
Ayat Ullah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Sugar Industry ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Production Method ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
World Health ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Reduced Form ◽  
The Impact

Air pollution is among the major causes of death and disease all around the globe. The prime impact of ambient air pollution is on the lungs through the respiratory system. This study aims to estimate the health cost due to air pollution from a Sugar Mill in the Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. To determine the impact of pollution on respiratory illness, primary data were collected from 1141 individuals from 200 households living within a 3 km radius of the mill. The Household Production Method was used to drive the reduced-form Dose–Response Function and the Mitigation Cost Function for assessing the impact of pollution on health and then estimating the monetary cost associated with mitigating such illnesses. The results indicate that about 60% of the respondents living in the surrounding area of the mill suffered from different respiratory illnesses. The study estimates that by reducing the suspended particulate matter (SPM) level by 50%, the expected annual welfare gains to an individual living within a 3 km radius of the mill are US $20.21. The whole community residing within a 3 km radius of the mill will enjoy an estimated welfare gain of PKR. 70.67 million (US $0.511 million). If the pollution standard limits prescribed by the World Health Organization are followed, the expected monetary benefits to all the individuals living within a 3 km radius of the mill are PKR. 114.48 million (US $0.27 million) annually.

scholarly journals Long-term exposure to low-level air pollution and incidence of asthma: the ELAPSE project

2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 2003099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuo Liu ◽  
Jeanette Therming Jørgensen ◽  
Petter Ljungman ◽  
Göran Pershagen ◽  
Tom Bellander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
World Health ◽  
Limit Values ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Asthma Incidence ◽  
Current Limit ◽  
Hazard Ratios

BackgroundLong-term exposure to ambient air pollution has been linked to childhood-onset asthma, although evidence is still insufficient. Within the multicentre project Effects of Low-Level Air Pollution: A Study in Europe (ELAPSE), we examined the associations of long-term exposures to particulate matter with a diameter <2.5 µm (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon (BC) with asthma incidence in adults.MethodsWe pooled data from three cohorts in Denmark and Sweden with information on asthma hospital diagnoses. The average concentrations of air pollutants in 2010 were modelled by hybrid land-use regression models at participants’ baseline residential addresses. Associations of air pollution exposures with asthma incidence were explored with Cox proportional hazard models, adjusting for potential confounders.ResultsOf 98 326 participants, 1965 developed asthma during a mean follow-up of 16.6 years. We observed associations in fully adjusted models with hazard ratios of 1.22 (95% CI 1.04–1.43) per 5 μg·m−3 for PM2.5, 1.17 (95% CI 1.10–1.25) per 10 µg·m−3 for NO2 and 1.15 (95% CI 1.08–1.23) per 0.5×10−5 m−1 for BC. Hazard ratios were larger in cohort subsets with exposure levels below the European Union and US limit values and possibly World Health Organization guidelines for PM2.5 and NO2. NO2 and BC estimates remained unchanged in two-pollutant models with PM2.5, whereas PM2.5 estimates were attenuated to unity. The concentration–response curves showed no evidence of a threshold.ConclusionsLong-term exposure to air pollution, especially from fossil fuel combustion sources such as motorised traffic, was associated with adult-onset asthma, even at levels below the current limit values.

scholarly journals Air pollution in Kigali, Rwanda: spatial and temporal variability, source contributions, and the impact of car-free Sundays

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Subramanian
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Lower Cost ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
World Health ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
The Impact

Ambient air pollution, particularly fine particulate mass (PM2.5) and ozone (O3), is associated with premature human mortality and other health effects, but monitoring is scarce to non-existent in large parts of Africa. Lower-cost real-time affordable multi-pollutant (RAMP) monitors and a black carbon monitor were deployed in Kigali, Rwanda to fill the air quality data gap here. PM2.5 data were corrected using data from a coincident, short-term campaign that used standard filter-based gravimetry, while gas data were verified by collocation with reference carbon monoxide (CO) and O3 monitors at the Rwanda Climate Observatory at Mt Mugogo, Rwanda. Over March 2017-July 2018, the ambient average PM2.5 in Kigali was 52 µg/m3, significantly higher than World Health Organization (WHO) Interim Target 1. Study average BC was 4 µg/m3, comparable to mid-sized urban areas in India and China and significantly higher than BC in cities in developed countries. Spatial variability across Kigali is limited, while PM2.5 at Mt Mugogo is moderately correlated with PM2.5 in Kigali. A sharp diurnal profile is observed in both PM2.5 and BC, with the Absorption Angstrom Exponent (AAE) indicating that the morning peak is associated with rush-hour traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) while the late evening peak can be attributed to both traffic and domestic biofuel use. PM2.5 in the dry seasons is almost two times that during the following wet seasons while BC is 40-60% higher. Local sources contribute at least half the ambient PM2.5 during wet seasons and one-fourth during dry seasons. Vehicular restrictions on some Sundays appear to reduce PM2.5 and BC by 10-12 µg/m3 and 1 µg/m3 respectively, but this needs further investigation. Dry season ozone in Kigali can exceed WHO guidelines. These lower-cost monitors can play an important role in the continued monitoring essential to track the effectiveness of pollution-control policies recently implemented in Rwanda.

scholarly journals Air pollution and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest risk

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Moderato ◽  
D Lazzeroni ◽  
A Biagi ◽  
T Spezzano ◽  
B Matrone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
External Temperature ◽  
Pm 2.5 ◽  
Pm10 And Pm2.5 ◽  
Short Term Exposure ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Abstract Introduction Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of death worldwide; it accounts for up to 50% of all cardiovascular deaths.It is well established that ambient air pollution triggers fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events. However, the impact of air pollution on OHCA is still controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of short-term exposure to outdoor air pollutants on the incidence of OHCA in the urban area of Piacenza, Italy, one of the most polluted area in Europe. Methods From 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2017 day-by-day PM10 and PM2.5 levels, as well as climatic data, were extracted from Environmental Protection Agency (ARPA) local monitoring stations. OHCA were extracted from the prospective registry of Community-based automated external defibrillator Cardiac arrest “Progetto Vita”. OHCA data were included: audio recordings, event information and ECG tracings. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between the risk of OHC, expressed as odds ratios (OR), associated with the PM10 and PM2.5 levels. Results Mean PM10 levels were 33±29 μg/m3 and the safety threshold (50 μg/m3) recommended by both WHO and Italian legislation has been exceeded for 535 days (17.5%). Mean PM 5 levels were 33±29 μg/m3. During the follow-up period, 880 OHCA were recorded on 750 days; the remaining 2174 days without OHCA were used as control days. Mean age of OHCA patients was 76±15 years; male gender was prevalent (55% male vs 45% female; &lt;0.001). Concentration of PM10 and PM 2.5 were significantly higher on days with the occurrence of OHCA (PM10 levels: 37.7±22 μg/m3 vs 32.7±19 μg/m3; p&lt;0.001; PM 2.5 levels: 26±16 vs 22±15 p&lt;0.001). Risk of OHCA was significantly increased with the progressive increase of PM10 (OR: 1.009, 95% CI 1.004–1.015; p&lt;0.001) and PM2.5 levels (OR 1.012, 95% CI 1.007–1.017; p&lt;0.001). Interestingly, the above mentioned results remain independent even when correct for external temperature or season (PM 2.5 levels: p=0.01 – PM 10 levels: p=0.002), Moreover, dividing PM10 values in quintiles, a 1.9 fold higher risk of cardiac arrest has been showed in the highest quintile (Highest quintile cut-off: &lt;48μg/m3) Conclusions In large cohort of patients from a high pollution area, both PM10 and PM2.5 levels are associated with the risk of Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. PM10 and PM2.5 levels and risk of OHCA Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Association between Air Pollution and Daily Mortality in the Capital of the Green Lungs of Poland–Population-Based Study with 2,953,000 Person-Years of Follow-Up

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2351
Author(s):  
Łukasz Kuźma ◽  
Krzysztof Struniawski ◽  
Szymon Pogorzelski ◽  
Hanna Bachórzewska-Gajewska ◽  
Sławomir Dobrzycki
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
World Health ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Daily Mortality ◽  
Male Population ◽  
The Impact

(1) Introduction: air pollution is considered to be one of the main risk factors for public health. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of approximately 500,000 citizens of the European Union (EU), including almost 5000 inhabitants of Poland every year. (2) Purpose: to assess the gender differences in the impact of air pollution on the mortality in the population of the city of Bialystok—the capital of the Green Lungs of Poland. (3) Materials and Methods: based on the data from the Central Statistical Office, the number—and causes of death—of Białystok residents in the period 2008–2017 were analyzed. The study utilized the data recorded by the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection station and the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management during the analysis period. Time series regression with Poisson distribution was used in statistical analysis. (4) Results: A total of 34,005 deaths had been recorded, in which women accounted for 47.5%. The proportion of cardiovascular-related deaths was 48% (n = 16,370). An increase of SO2 concentration by 1-µg/m3 (relative risk (RR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.12; p = 0.005) and a 10 °C decrease of temperature (RR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05; p = 0.005) were related to an increase in the number of daily deaths. No gender differences in the impact of air pollution on mortality were observed. In the analysis of the subgroup of cardiovascular deaths, the main pollutant that was found to have an effect on daily mortality was particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5); the RR for 10-µg/m3 increase of PM2.5 was 1.07 (95% CI 1.02–1.12; p = 0.01), and this effect was noted only in the male population. (5) Conclusions: air quality and atmospheric conditions had an impact on the mortality of Bialystok residents. The main air pollutant that influenced the mortality rate was SO2, and there were no gender differences in the impact of this pollutant. In the male population, an increased exposure to PM2.5 concentration was associated with significantly higher cardiovascular mortality. These findings suggest that improving air quality, in particular, even with lower SO2 levels than currently allowed by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, may benefit public health. Further studies on this topic are needed, but our results bring questions whether the recommendations concerning acceptable concentrations of air pollutants should be stricter, or is there a safe concentration of SO2 in the air at all.

scholarly journals Health and Economic Impacts Assessment of O3 Exposure in Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11646
Author(s):  
José Texcalac-Sangrador ◽  
Magali Hurtado-Díaz ◽  
Eunice Félix-Arellano ◽  
Carlos Guerrero-López ◽  
Horacio Riojas-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Economic Valuation ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Uncertainty Interval ◽  
Avoidable Deaths

Health effects related to exposure to air pollution such as ozone (O3) have been documented. The World Health Organization has recommended the use of the Sum of O3 Means Over 35 ppb (SOMO35) to perform Health Impact Assessments (HIA) for long-term exposure to O3. We estimated the avoidable mortality associated with long-term exposure to tropospheric O3 in 14 cities in Mexico using information for 2015. The economic valuation of avoidable deaths related to SOMO35 exposure was performed using the willingness to pay (WTP) and human capital (HC) approaches. We estimated that 627 deaths (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 227–1051) from respiratory diseases associated with the exposure to O3 would have been avoided in people over 30 years in the study area, which confirms the public health impacts of ambient air pollution. The avoidable deaths account for almost 1400 million USD under the WTP approach, whilst the HC method yielded a lost productivity estimate of 29.7 million USD due to premature deaths. Our findings represent the first evidence of the health impacts of O3 exposure in Mexico, using SOMO35 metrics.

scholarly journals Ambient Air Quality in the Czech Republic: Past and Present

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iva Hůnová
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Ambient Air Quality ◽  
Limit Values ◽  
Pollution Impacts

Based on an analysis of related core papers and reports, this review presents a historical perspective on ambient air pollution and ambient air quality development in the modern-day Czech Republic (CR) over the past seven decades, i.e., from the 1950s to the present. It offers insights into major air pollution problems, reveals the main hot spots and problematic regions and indicates the principal air pollutants in the CR. Air pollution is not presented as a stand-alone problem, but in the wider context of air pollution impacts both on human health and the environment in the CR. The review is arranged into three main parts: (1) the time period until the Velvet Revolution of 1989, (2) the transition period of the 1990s and (3) the modern period after 2000. Obviously, a major improvement in ambient air quality has been achieved since the 1970s and 1980s, when air pollution in the former Czechoslovakia culminated. Nevertheless, new challenges including fine aerosol, benzo[a]pyrene and ground-level ozone, of which the limit values are still vastly exceeded, have emerged. Furthermore, in spite of a significant reduction in overall emissions, the atmospheric deposition of nitrogen, in particular, remains high in some regions.

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