[cleanairuk_news] Health Effects of Air Quality and Noise - update March 2014
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Tue Apr 1 13:33:03 BST 2014
* Health Effects of Air Quality and Noise - update March 2014 *
By Barbara Rimmington, Researcher, East End Quality of Life Initiative
(Previous edition - February 2014:
http://cleanairuk.org/pipermail/news_cleanairuk.org/2014-February/000065.html)
(Index for all previous issues:
http://www.cleanairuk.org/health-air-pollution.html)
*CONTENTS*
1) Air Pollution and Respiratory Infections during Early Childhood: An
Analysis of 10 European Birth Cohorts within the ESCAPE Project
2) Physiological Daily Inhalation Rates for Health Risk Assessment in
Overweight/Obese Children, Adults, and Elderly
3) Spatial Association Between Ambient Fine Particulate Matter and
Incident Hypertension
4) Health effects of daily airborne particle dose in children: Direct
association between personal dose and respiratory health effects
5) Modeled PM2.5 removal by trees in ten U.S. cities and associated
health effects
6) A five-year study of particulate matter (PM2.5) and cerebrovascular
diseases
7) Effects of long-term exposure to air pollution on natural-cause
mortality: an analysis of 22 European cohorts within the multicentre
ESCAPE project
8) Air pollution and mortality in Europe
9) A new EU clean air strategy up to 2030
10) Brachial Artery Responses to Ambient Pollution, Temperature, and
Humidity in People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Repeated-Measures Study
11) Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Congenital Anomalies in Barcelona
12) Associations between short/medium-term variations in black smoke
air pollution and mortality in the Glasgow conurbation, UK
13) (Barely) living in smog: China and air pollution
14) Fuel duty hike ‘could protect public health’
15) In Utero Exposure to Diesel Exhaust Air Pollution Promotes Adverse
Intrauterine Conditions, Resulting in Weight Gain, Altered Blood
Pressure, and Increased Susceptibility to Heart Failure in Adult Mice
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1) Air Pollution and Respiratory Infections during Early Childhood: An
Analysis of 10 European Birth Cohorts within the ESCAPE Project
Elaina A. MacIntyre, Ulrike Gehring, Anna Mölter, Elaine Fuertes,
Claudia Klümper, Ursula Krämer, Ulrich Quass, Barbara Hoffmann, Mireia
Gascon, Bert Brunekreef, Gerard H. Koppelman, Rob Beelen, Gerard Hoek,
Matthias Birk, Johan C. de Jongste, H.A. Smit, Josef Cyrys, Olena
Gruzieva, Michal Korek, Anna Bergström, Raymond M. Agius, Frank de
Vocht, Angela Simpson, Daniela Porta, Francesco Forastiere, Chiara
Badaloni, Giulia Cesaroni, Ana Esplugues, Ana Fernández-Somoano,
Aitana Lerxundi, Jordi Sunyer, Marta Cirach, Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen,
Göran Pershagen, Joachim Heinrich
Our meta-analysis of 10 European birth cohorts within the ESCAPE
project found consistent evidence for an association between air
pollution and pneumonia in early childhood, and some evidence for an
association with otitis media.
Environ Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.1306755 - read article
(http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1306755/)
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2) Physiological Daily Inhalation Rates for Health Risk Assessment in
Overweight/Obese Children, Adults, and Elderly
Pierre Brochu, Michèle Bouchard, Sami Haddad
Higher absolute rates generally found in overweight/obese individuals
compared to their normal-weight counterparts suggest higher intakes of
air pollutants (in μg/day) for the former compared to the latter
during identical exposure concentrations and conditions. Highest
absolute mean (24.57 m3/day) and 99th percentile (55.55 m3/day) values
were found in obese class 2 adults. They inhale on average 8.21 m3
more air per day than normal-weight adults.
Risk Analysis 22 OCT 2013, DOI: 10.1111/risa.12125 - read abstract
(http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/risa.12125/abstract)
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3) Spatial Association Between Ambient Fine Particulate Matter and
Incident Hypertension
Hong Chen, Richard T. Burnett, Jeffrey C. Kwong, Paul J. Villeneuve,
Mark S. Goldberg, Robert D. Brook, Aaron van Donkelaar, Michael
Jerrett, Randall V. Martin, Alexander Kopp, Jeffrey R. Brook, Ray Copes
This study supports an association between PM2.5 and incident hypertension.
Circulation 2014; 129: 562-569 - read abstract
(http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/129/5/562.abstract)
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4) Health effects of daily airborne particle dose in children: Direct
association between personal dose and respiratory health effects
Giorgio Buonanno, Guy B. Marks, Lidia Morawska.
Particle dose was estimated through personal monitoring on more than
100 children. We focused on real-time daily dose of particle alveolar
deposited surface area. Spirometry, skin prick and exhaled Nitric
Oxide tests were performed. Negative link was found between changes in
pulmonary functions and individual doses. A child's lifestyle appeared
to have a strong impact on health respiratory outcomes.
Environmental Pollution 180, September 2013, 246–250 - read abstract
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749113002881)
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5) Modeled PM2.5 removal by trees in ten U.S. cities and associated
health effects
David J. Nowak, Satoshi Hirabayashi, Allison Bodine, Robert Hoehn
Paper provides the first broad-scale estimates of city-wide tree
impacts on PM2.5. Trees improve overall air quality by intercepting
particulate matter. Particle resuspension can lead to short-term
increases in pollutant concentrations. Urban trees produce substantial
health improvements and values.
Environmental Pollution 178, July 2013, 395–402 - read abstract
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749113001838)
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6) A five-year study of particulate matter (PM2.5) and cerebrovascular
diseases
Manuel A. Leiva G, Daniela A. Santibañez, Sergio Ibarra E, Patricia
Matus C, Rodrigo Seguel
Particulate matter pollution – cerebrovascular diseases relationship
is not well known. Cerebrovascular diseases are the second leading
cause of mortality and the leading cause of morbidity. PM2.5 increase
10 μg/m3 the risk of hospital admissions for stroke causes increases
by 1.29%. The results are similar to that of other cities worldwide.
Environmental Pollution 181, October 2013, 1–6 - read abstract
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749113003175)
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7) Effects of long-term exposure to air pollution on natural-cause
mortality: an analysis of 22 European cohorts within the multicentre
ESCAPE project
Rob Beelen, Ole Raaschou-Nielsenb, Massimo Stafoggia, Zorana Jovanovic
Andersen, Gudrun Weinmayr, Barbara Hoffmann, Kathrin Wolf, Evangelia
Samoli, Paul Fischer, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Paolo Vineis, Wei W Xun,
Klea Katsouyanni, Konstantina Dimakopoulou, Anna Oudin, Bertil
Forsberg, Lars Modig, Aki S Havulinna, Timo Lanki, Anu Turunen, Bente
Oftedal, Wenche Nystad, Per Nafstad, Ulf De Faire, Nancy L Pedersen,
Claes-Göran Östenson, Laura Fratiglioni, Johanna Penell, Michal Korek,
Göran Pershagen, Kirsten Thorup Eriksen, Kim Overvad, Thomas
Ellermann, Marloes Eeftens, Petra H Peeters, Kees Meliefste, Meng
Wang, Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita, Dorothea Sugiri, Ursula Krämer, Joachim
Heinrich, Kees de Hoogh, Timothy Key, Annette Peters, Regina Hampel,
Hans Concin, Gabriele Nagel, Alex Ineichen, Emmanuel Schaffner, Nicole
Probst-Hensch, Nino Künzli, Christian Schindler, Tamara Schikowski,
Martin Adam, Harish Phuleria, Alice Vilier, Françoise Clavel-Chapelon,
Christophe Declercq, Sara Grioni, Vittorio Krogh, Ming-Yi Tsai, Fulvio
Ricceri, Carlotta Sacerdote, Claudia Galassi, Enrica Migliore, Andrea
Ranzi, Giulia Cesaroni, Chiara Badaloni, Francesco Forastiere, Ibon
Tamayo, Pilar Amiano, Miren Dorronsoro, Michail Katsoulis, Antonia
Trichopoulou, Bert Brunekreef, Gerard Hoek
Long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution was associated
with natural-cause mortality, even within concentration ranges well
below the present European annual mean limit value.
The Lancet, 383;9919, 785 - 795, 1 March 2014 - read article
(http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)62158-3/fulltext?elsca1=ETOC-LANCET&elsca2=email&elsca3=E24A35F)
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8) Air pollution and mortality in Europe
Jeremy P Langrish, Nicholas L Mills
Despite major improvements in air quality in the past 50 years, the
data from Beelen and colleagues' report draw attention to the
continuing effects of air pollution on health. These data, along with
the findings from other large cohort studies, suggest that further
public and environmental health policy interventions are necessary and
have the potential to reduce morbidity and mortality across Europe.
Movement towards more stringent guidelines, as recommended by WHO,
should be an urgent priority.
Editorial in The Lancet, 383;9919, 758 - 760, 1 March 2014 - read
article
(http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)62570-2/fulltext?elsca1=ETOC-LANCET&elsca2=email&elsca3=E24A35F)
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9) A new EU clean air strategy up to 2030
Christer Ågren
More than 95% of the EU’s urban citizens are exposed to harmful levels
of PM2.5 and ozone, i.e. higher than the reference values recommended
by the World Health Organization (WHO). Air pollution is the number
one environmental cause of death in the EU, with over 400,000
premature deaths in 2010 – more than ten times the annual deaths from
traffic accidents. For that same year, the external costs of health
damage due to air pollution have been estimated to amount to €330–940
billion. The objectives are not new, they have been in place since the
EU’s 5th Environmental Action Programme (EAP), dating back to 1992,
and were again confirmed in the 7th EAP, adopted on 20 November 2013.
Environmental groups want the long-term objectives to be achieved as
soon as possible, at the latest by 2030.
Acid News 2014 No. 1, March 2014 - read article
(http://www.airclim.org/acidnews/new-eu-clean-air-strategy-2030)
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10) Brachial Artery Responses to Ambient Pollution, Temperature, and
Humidity in People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Repeated-Measures Study
Antonella Zanobetti, Heike Luttmann-Gibson, Edward S. Horton, Allison
Cohen, Brent A. Coull, Barbara Hoffmann, Joel D. Schwartz, Murray A.
Mittleman, Yongsheng Li, Peter H. Stone, Celine de Souza, Brooke
Lamparello, Petros Koutrakis, Diane R. Gold
Brachial artery diameter, a predictor of cardiovascular risk,
decreased in association with particle pollution and increased in
association with ambient temperature in our study population of adults
with type 2 diabetes.
Environ Health Perspect; March 2014, DOI:10.1289/ehp.1206136 - read
article (http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1206136/)
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11) Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Congenital Anomalies in Barcelona
Anna Schembari, Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, Joaquin Salvador, Audrey de
Nazelle, Marta Cirach, Payam Dadvand, Rob Beelen, Gerard Hoek, Xavier
Basagaña, Martine Vrijheid
Our results overall do not indicate an association between exposure to
traffic-related air pollution and many groups of congenital anomalies
in Barcelona, even though the air pollution levels are some of the
highest in Europe. The positive association of NO2 and NOx with
coarctation of the aorta is consistent with a findings of a
meta-analysis of previous studies, and requires further study.
Associations of digestive system anomalies with NO2 and NOx, and of
abdominal wall defects with PMcoarse, also call for confirmation.
Environ Health Perspect; March 2014, DOI:10.1289/ehp.1306802 - read
article (http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1306802/)
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12) Associations between short/medium-term variations in black smoke
air pollution and mortality in the Glasgow conurbation, UK
I.J. Beverland, M. Carder, G.R. Cohen, M.R. Heal, R.M. Agius
A time series study of air pollution and mortality over a 25 year
period. Compares estimates of short and medium term exposure–mortality
associations. Effects of black smoke on mortality evident for lag
periods in excess of two weeks. Medium term exposure–mortality
associations greater than short-term associations. This study has
provided evidence of association between black smoke exposure and
mortality at longer lag periods than have been investigated in the
majority of time series analyses.
Environment International 62, January 2014, 126–132 - read abstract
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412013000056)
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13) (Barely) living in smog: China and air pollution
There are few cities in the world where the first thing you do on
waking is check the air quality app on your mobile phone—even before
switching off the alarm. Beijing is such a city. On Feb 25, Beijing
had been shrouded in heavy smog and hazardous levels of respirable
fine particulate matter (PM2·5) for 6 consecutive days. That morning
the PM2·5 level read 383 μg/m3, which is 15 times the recommended safe
WHO limit (25 μg/m3 for 24-h PM2·5), but not the worst reported in a
week when levels soared to 500 μg/m3.
Editorial in The Lancet, 383;9920, 845, 8 March 2014 - read article
(http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)60427-X/fulltext?elsca1=ETOC-LANCET&elsca2=email&elsca3=E24A35F)
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14) Fuel duty hike ‘could protect public health’
Simon Evans
The UK government is expected to freeze fuel duty again in its 19
March budget. A higher duty on diesel fuel has been linked to reduced
air pollution and could be justified as a public health measure,
according to Australian scientists. The findings were published
shortly before the 19 March UK Budget, in which chancellor George
Osborne once again froze fuel duty.
The Australian research found that roadside air pollution in Brisbane
was lower when diesel prices were high. The researchers took air
quality data from two roadside pollution monitors over three years to
mid-2013. They assumed that pump prices up to two weeks earlier could
affect vehicle use. Levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) were about 30%
lower when diesel cost $1.50 a litre than when the price was $1.26.
“Our results show that concentrations of some traffic-related
pollutants were greatly reduced in the short-term when [diesel] fuel
prices were high,” the University of Queensland scientists write.
Petrol prices were not found to have a significant impact on air
pollution. The scientists conclude that raising diesel taxes “could be
justified as a public health measure”. “Our results imply that tax
increases to fuel could be used to improve the nation’s health by
reducing the adverse health effects associated with traffic-related
air pollution and increasing the use of public
and active transport,” they write.
The ENDS Report, 18 March 2014
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15) In Utero Exposure to Diesel Exhaust Air Pollution Promotes Adverse
Intrauterine Conditions, Resulting in Weight Gain, Altered Blood
Pressure, and Increased Susceptibility to Heart Failure in Adult Mice
Chad S. Weldy, Yonggang Liu, H. Denny Liggitt, Michael T. Chin
These observations provide important data to suggest that
developmental exposure to air pollution may strongly influence adult
susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.
PLoS ONE 9(2): e88582. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088582 - read article
(http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0088582)
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Compiler and Editor: Barbara Rimmington, Researcher, East End Quality
of Life Initiative
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