scholarly journals Adverse health impacts of air pollution -- continuing problems

1995 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 405-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
DV Bates
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 137-140
Author(s):  
Hina Islam ◽  
Irfan Sharif Shakoori ◽  
Fauzia Aslam ◽  
Gohar Ashraf ◽  
Hammad Akram

AbstractAir pollution is a result of natural phenomena or human activities that can cause the release of harmful substances in the environment, leading to adverse health outcomes among living beings. Pollution is associated with adverse health impacts on multiple organ systems among humans. While the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are mainly affected, there are other health issues related to the eyes, skin, brain, blood, immunity, behavioral/mental well-being, and reproduction among exposed individuals. Air pollutants can especially have higher health impacts on people at the extremes of their ages (children and elderly) and on those suffering from underlying respiratory and heart issues. Pollutants such as ozone, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen dioxide have respiratory effects among children and adults and are associated with increased respiratory diseases, asthma exacerbations, and related hospitalizations. Carbon monoxide interferes with transporting oxygen by forming carboxyhemoglobin leading to cardiovascular, neurological, and respiratory problems. Particulate matter is a heterogeneous mixture of tiny particles of varying compositions found in the atmosphere and has a wide variety of severe health effects. Particulate matter emits from combustion, diesel engines, power generation, and wood-burning, and certain industrial activities. Lead is considered neurotoxic and has more severe consequences among children. Here we summarize characteristics of six criteria air pollutants and associated air quality risk assessment parameters known as the Pollutant Standard Index (PSI). The present manuscript also examines the impact of air pollution on human behavior, mental well-being, and neurological health consequences, as air pollution has been associated with cognitive decline, hyperactivity, dementia, anxiety, depression, aggression, and Alzheimer’s disease-related changes. Lastly, we also attempt to look into any relationship between air pollutants and Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and examine its possible association with a higher COVID-19 incidence, complications, and mortality.


Author(s):  
David Rojas-Rueda

Background: Bicycling has been associated with health benefits. Local and national authorities have been promoting bicycling as a tool to improve public health and the environment. Mexico is one of the largest Latin American countries, with high levels of sedentarism and non-communicable diseases. No previous studies have estimated the health impacts of Mexico’s national bicycling scenarios. Aim: Quantify the health impacts of Mexico urban bicycling scenarios. Methodology: Quantitative Health Impact Assessment, estimating health risks and benefits of bicycling scenarios in 51,718,756 adult urban inhabitants in Mexico (between 20 and 64 years old). Five bike scenarios were created based on current bike trends in Mexico. The number of premature deaths (increased or reduced) was estimated in relation to physical activity, road traffic fatalities, and air pollution. Input data were collected from national publicly available data sources from transport, environment, health and population reports, and surveys, in addition to scientific literature. Results: We estimated that nine premature deaths are prevented each year among urban populations in Mexico on the current car-bike substitution and trip levels (1% of bike trips), with an annual health economic benefit of US $1,897,920. If Mexico achieves similar trip levels to those reported in The Netherlands (27% of bike trips), 217 premature deaths could be saved annually, with an economic impact of US $45,760,960. In all bicycling scenarios assessed in Mexico, physical activity’s health benefits outweighed the health risks related to traffic fatalities and air pollution exposure. Conclusion: The study found that bicycling promotion in Mexico would provide important health benefits. The benefits of physical activity outweigh the risk from traffic fatalities and air pollution exposure in bicyclists. At the national level, Mexico could consider using sustainable transport policies as a tool to promote public health. Specifically, the support of active transportation through bicycling and urban design improvements could encourage physical activity and its health co-benefits.


2020 ◽  
Vol 144 ◽  
pp. 106015
Author(s):  
Ernani F. Choma ◽  
John S. Evans ◽  
James K. Hammitt ◽  
José A. Gómez-Ibáñez ◽  
John D. Spengler

Author(s):  
José Texcalac-Sangrador ◽  
Magali Hurtado-Díaz ◽  
Eunice Félix-Arellano ◽  
Carlos Guerrero-López ◽  
Horacio Riojas-Rodríguez

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.


Author(s):  
Saurabh Gupta ◽  
Virginia Murray ◽  
Mike J Clarke ◽  
Catriona Carmichael ◽  
Claire Allen ◽  
...  

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