[cleanairuk_news] Health Effects of Air Quality and Noise - update July 2015
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Tue Jul 28 19:12:52 BST 2015
* Health Effects of Air Quality and Noise - update July 2015 *
By Barbara Rimmington, Researcher, East End Quality of Life Initiative
(Previous edition - June 2015:
http://cleanairuk.org/pipermail/news_cleanairuk.org/2015-July/000087.html)
(Index for previous issues:
http://www.cleanairuk.org/health-air-pollution.html)
*CONTENTS*
1) Understanding the Health Impacts of Air Pollution in London
2) Exposure to traffic noise and markers of obesity
3) Road traffic noise is associated with increased cardiovascular
morbidity and mortality and all-cause mortality in London
4) Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter, Residential
Proximity to Major Roads and Measures of Brain Structure
5) Effects of airborne fine particles (PM2.5) on deep vein thrombosis
admissions in the northeastern United States
6) Differences in Birth Weight Associated with the 2008 Beijing
Olympic Air Pollution Reduction: Results from a Natural Experiment
7) Association between Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Schools and
Cognitive Development in Primary School Children: A Prospective Cohort
Study
8) Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Metabolic Syndrome
in Adults
9) Carotid Intima-Media Thickness, a Marker of Subclinical
Atherosclerosis, and Particulate Air Pollution Exposure: the
Meta-Analytical Evidence
10) Blood Pressure and Same-Day Exposure to Air Pollution at School:
Associations with Nano-Sized to Coarse PM in Children
11) Air Pollution and Mortality in Seven Million Adults: The Dutch
Environmental Longitudinal Study (DUELS)
12) Combining PM2.5 Component Data from Multiple Sources: Data
Consistency and Characteristics Relevant to Epidemiological Analyses
of Predicted Long-Term Exposures
13) Risk of leukaemia and residential exposure to air pollution in an
industrial area in Northern Italy: a case-control study
14) Autism Spectrum Disorder and Particulate Matter Air Pollution
before, during, and after Pregnancy: A Nested Case–Control Analysis
within the Nurses’ Health Study II Cohort
15) Short term exposure to air pollution and stroke: systematic review
and meta-analysis
16) Transport transitions in Copenhagen: Comparing the cost of cars
and bicycles
17) Air pollution at the forefront of global health
18) All choked up: did Britain's dirty air make me dangerously ill?
19) Traffic Sounds and Cycling Safety: The Use of Electronic Devices
by Cyclists and the Quietness of Hybrid and Electric Cars
20) Driving away from diesel. Reducing air pollution from diesel vehicles
21) Local Health Profiles by Public Health England
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1) Understanding the Health Impacts of Air Pollution in London
For: Transport for London and the Greater London Authority
By: Heather Walton, David Dajnak, Sean Beevers, Martin Williams, Paul
Watkiss and Alistair Hunt
Key results
PM2.5 burden (long-term exposure): (Section 2.1). The total mortality
burden of anthropogenic PM2.5 for the year 2010 is estimated to be
52,630 life-years lost, equivalent to 3,537 deaths at typical ages .
The result is similar but slightly larger than that estimated for
London in 2010 by Public Health England (PHE), using methods designed
for national comparisons (Gowers et al., 2014). The estimate for PM2.5
attributable deaths has decreased from the previous estimate (4,267
deaths in 2008 based on 2006 concentrations) (Miller, 2010) partly due
to a decrease in concentrations, to which policy interventions will
have contributed, as well as some adjustments to the previous methods
and inputs, such as using anthropogenic rather than total PM2.5 and
declines in baseline mortality rates. Further decreases should occur
beyond 2010 as interventions have been put in place to reduce
emissions further, although this may or may not be apparent in a
specific year due to variations in weather conditions affecting
concentrations.
New estimate of the NO2 burden (long-term exposure): (Section 2.1).
Whilst much less certain than for PM2.5., the total mortality burden
of long-term exposure to NO2 is estimated to be up to 88,113
life-years lost, equivalent to 5,879 deaths at typical ages (assuming
the WHO value of up to a 30% overlap between the effects of PM2.5 and
NO2). Some of this effect may be due to other traffic pollutants. Can
these effects be added? (Section 2.1). The total mortality burden in
2010 from PM2.5 and NO2 can be added to give a range from the 52,630
life-years lost, equivalent to 3,537 deaths at typical ages from PM2.5
alone (if only including the most established effects) to as much as
140,743 life-years lost, equivalent to 9,416 deaths at typical agesa
(assuming a 30% overlap between the effects of PM2.5 and NO2 and
comparing with a zero concentration of NO2). This potentially
increases the estimated total mortality burden considerably, compared
with both the previous IOM and PHE reports.
Short-term exposure and hospital admissions: (Section 2.2). Mortality
is not the only air pollution related health effect – in 2010 PM2.5
and NO2 were associated with approximately 1990 and 420 respiratory
hospital admissions respectively with an additional 740 cardiovascular
hospital admissions associated with PM2.5.
Economic costs: (Section 4.2). The estimated economic costs of the
above health impacts ranged from £1.4 billion (long-term exposure to
PM2.5 and mortality; short-term exposure to PM2.5 and hospital
admissions; short-term exposure to NO2 and both deaths brought forward
and hospital admissions) to £3.7 billion (replacing short-term
exposure to NO2 and deaths brought forward with long-term exposure to
NO2 and mortality). Inclusion of other less well established health
outcomes would increase the economic costs although this has not been
estimated in this report.
Kings College London, July 2015, 129pp - read report
(https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/HIAinLondon_KingsReport_14072015_final_0.pdf)
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2) Exposure to traffic noise and markers of obesity
Andrei Pyko, Charlotta Eriksson, Bente Oftedal, Agneta Hilding,
Claes-Göran Östenson, Norun Hjertager Krog, Bettina Julin, Gunn Marit
Aasvang, Göran Pershagen
Our results suggest that traffic noise exposure can increase the risk
of central obesity. Combined exposure to different sources of traffic
noise may convey a particularly high risk.
Occup Environ Med 2015;72:594-601 - read article
(http://oem.bmj.com/content/72/8/594.full)
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3) Road traffic noise is associated with increased cardiovascular
morbidity and mortality and all-cause mortality in London
Jaana I. Halonen, Anna L. Hansell, John Gulliver, David Morley, Marta
Blangiardo, Daniela Fecht, Mireille B. Toledano, Sean D. Beevers, Hugh
Ross Anderson, Frank J. Kelly, Cathryn Tonne
Long-term exposure to road traffic noise was associated with small
increased risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality
and morbidity in the general population, particularly for stroke in
the elderly.
European Heart Journal June 2015 - read article
(http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/06/07/eurheartj.ehv216)
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4) Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter, Residential
Proximity to Major Roads and Measures of Brain Structure
Elissa H. Wilker, Sarah R. Preis, Alexa S. Beiser, Philip A. Wolf,
Rhoda Au, Itai Kloog, Wenyuan Li, Joel Schwartz, Petros Koutrakis,
Charles DeCarli, Sudha Seshadri, Murray A. Mittleman
Exposure to elevated levels of PM2.5 was associated with smaller total
cerebral brain volume, a marker of age-associated brain atrophy, and
with higher odds of covert brain infarcts. These findings suggest that
air pollution is associated with insidious effects on structural brain
aging even in dementia- and stroke-free persons.
Stroke 2015; 46: 1161-1166 - read abstract
(http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/46/5/1161.abstract)
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5) Effects of airborne fine particles (PM2.5) on deep vein thrombosis
admissions in the northeastern United States
I. Kloog, A. Zanobetti, F. Nordio, B. A. Coull, A. A. Baccarelli, J. Schwartz
Our findings showed that PM2.5 exposure was associated with deep vein
thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) hospital admissions and
that current standards are not protective of this result.
Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis 13,5 768–774, May 2015 - read
abstract (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jth.12873/abstract)
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6) Differences in Birth Weight Associated with the 2008 Beijing
Olympic Air Pollution Reduction: Results from a Natural Experiment
David Q. Rich, Kaibo Liu, Jinliang Zhang, Sally W. Thurston, Timothy
P. Stevens, Ying Pan, Cathleen Kane, Barry Weinberger, Pamela
Ohman-Strickland, Tracey J. Woodruff, Xiaoli Duan, Vanessa
Assibey-Mensah, Junfeng Zhang
Short-term decreases in air pollution late in pregnancy in Beijing
during the 2008 Summer Olympics, a normally heavily polluted city,
were associated with higher birth weight.
Environ Health Perspect; April 2015 DOI:10.1289/ehp.1408795 - read
abstract (http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1408795/)
7) Association between Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Schools and
Cognitive Development in Primary School Children: A Prospective Cohort
Study
Jordi Sunyer, Mikel Esnaola, Mar Alvarez-Pedrerol, Joan Forns, Ioar
Rivas, Mònica López-Vicente, Elisabet Suades-González, Maria Foraster,
Raquel Garcia-Esteban, Xavier Basagaña, Mar Viana, Marta Cirach,
Teresa Moreno, Andrés Alastuey, Núria Sebastian-Galles, Mark
Nieuwenhuijsen, Xavier Querol
Children attending schools with higher traffic-related air pollution
had a smaller improvement in cognitive development.
Plos Medicine March 2015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001792 - read
article
(http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1001792)
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8) Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Metabolic Syndrome
in Adults
Ikenna C. Eze, Emmanuel Schaffner, Maria Foraster, Medea Imboden,
Arnold von Eckardstein, Margaret W. Gerbase, Thomas Rothe, Thierry
Rochat, Nino Künzli, Christian Schindler, Nicole Probst-Hensch
The observed associations between air pollutants (AP) exposure and
metabolic syndrome (MetS) were sensitive to MetS definitions.
Regarding the MetS components, we observed strongest associations with
impaired fasting glycemia, and positive but weaker associations with
hypertension and waist-circumference-based obesity. Cardio-metabolic
effects of AP may be majorly driven by impairment of glucose
homeostasis, and to a less-strong extent, visceral adiposity.
Well-designed prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Plos ONE June 2015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130337 - read article
(http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0130337)
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9) Carotid Intima-Media Thickness, a Marker of Subclinical
Atherosclerosis, and Particulate Air Pollution Exposure: the
Meta-Analytical Evidence
Eline B. Provost, Narjes Madhloum, Luc Int Panis, Patrick De Boever,
Tim S. Nawrot
Studies on the association between atherosclerosis and long-term
exposure to ambient air pollution suggest that carotid intima-media
thickness (CIMT), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, is
positively associated with particulate matter (PM) exposure. However,
there is heterogeneity between the different studies concerning the
magnitude of this association. We performed a meta-analysis to
determine the strength of the association between CIMT and particulate
air pollution.
Plos ONE May 2015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127014 - read article
(http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0127014)
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10) Blood Pressure and Same-Day Exposure to Air Pollution at School:
Associations with Nano-Sized to Coarse PM in Children
Nicky Pieters, Gudrun Koppen, Martine Van Poppel, Sofie De Prins,
Bianca Cox, Evi Dons, Vera Nelen, Luc Int Panis, Michelle Plusquin,
Greet Schoeters, Tim S. Nawrot
Children attending school on days with higher ultrafine particles
(UFP) concentrations (diameter < 100 nm) had higher systolic blood
pressure. The association was dependent on UFP size, and there was no
association with the PM2.5 mass concentration.
Environ Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.1408121 - read article
(http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1408121/)
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11) Air Pollution and Mortality in Seven Million Adults: The Dutch
Environmental Longitudinal Study (DUELS)
Paul H. Fischer, Marten Marra, Caroline B. Ameling, Gerard Hoek, Rob
Beelen, Kees de Hoogh, Oscar Breugelmans, Hanneke Kruize, Nicole A.H.
Janssen, Danny Houthuijs
Long-term exposure to PM10 and NO2 was associated with nonaccidental
and cause-specific mortality in the Dutch population of ≥ 30 years of
age.
Environ Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.1408254 - read article
(http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1408254/)
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12) Combining PM2.5 Component Data from Multiple Sources: Data
Consistency and Characteristics Relevant to Epidemiological Analyses
of Predicted Long-Term Exposures
Sun-Young Kim, Lianne Sheppard, Timothy V. Larson, Joel D. Kaufman,
Sverre Vedal
Regulatory monitoring data have been the exposure data resource most
commonly applied to studies of the association between long-term PM2.5
components and health. However, data collected for regulatory purposes
may not be compatible with epidemiological studies. Investigators
conducting epidemiological studies of long-term PM2.5 components need
to be mindful of the features of the monitoring data and incorporate
this understanding into the design of their monitoring campaigns and
the development of their exposure prediction models.
Environ Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.1307744 - read article
(http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1307744/)
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13) Risk of leukaemia and residential exposure to air pollution in an
industrial area in Northern Italy: a case-control study
Stefano Parodi, Irene Santi, Claudia Casella, Antonella Puppo, Fabio
Montanaro, Vincenzo Fontana, Massimiliano Pescetto, Emanuele Stagnaro
Results suggest a possible aetiological role of residential air
pollution from industrial sites on the risk of developing leukaemia in
adult populations. However, the proportion of eligible subjects
excluded from the study and the lack of any measure of air pollution
prevent definitive conclusions from being drawn.
International Journal of Environmental Health Research 25, 4, 2015
393-404 - read abstract
(http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09603123.2014.958136)
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14) Autism Spectrum Disorder and Particulate Matter Air Pollution
before, during, and after Pregnancy: A Nested Case–Control Analysis
within the Nurses’ Health Study II Cohort
Raanan Raz, Andrea L. Roberts, Kristen Lyall, Jaime E. Hart, Allan C.
Just, Francine Laden, Marc G. Weisskopf
Higher maternal exposure to PM2.5 during pregnancy, particularly the
third trimester, was associated with greater odds of a child having ASD.
Environ Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.1408133 - read article
(http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1408133/)
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15) Short term exposure to air pollution and stroke: systematic review
and meta-analysis
Anoop S V Shah, Kuan Ken Lee, David A McAllister, Amanda Hunter,
Harish Nair, William Whiteley, Jeremy P Langrish, David E Newby,
Nicholas L Mills
Gaseous and particulate air pollutants have a marked and close
temporal association with admissions to hospital for stroke or
mortality from stroke. Public and environmental health policies to
reduce air pollution could reduce the burden of stroke.
The BMJ 2015; 350 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h1295 - read
article (http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h1295)
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16) Transport transitions in Copenhagen: Comparing the cost of cars
and bicycles
Stefan Gössling, Andy S. Choi
Cycling usually omitted in transport cost benefit analysis (CBA). City
of Copenhagen uses CBA to compare cost of transport modes. Cost of car
driving is six times higher than cycling. Considering only
externalities, cycling represents a benefit to society. Infrastructure
change in favor of the bicycle economically justified
Ecological Economics 113, May 2015, 106–113 - read abstract
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800915000907)
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17) Air pollution at the forefront of global health
Air pollution and the associated health risks have been addressed for
the first time by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in a landmark
resolution passed on May 27, 2015. The resolution underscores the
importance of indoor and outdoor air quality, not just as an
environmental issue but also as a major factor in global health.
Member states have called for WHO to strengthen its technical
capabilities to provide help to countries in implementing guidelines
on air quality.
The Lancet 385, 9984, 2224, 6 June 2015 - read editorial
(http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)61047-9/fulltext)
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18) All choked up: did Britain's dirty air make me dangerously ill?
John Vidal
This year, environment correspondent John Vidal had heart bypass
surgery – a wake-up call that prompted him to investigate the state of
the air we breathe. With 29,000 UK deaths a year attributed to
pollution, is it time we cleaned up our act?
The Guardian, 20 June 2015 - read article
(http://www.theguardian.com/global/2015/jun/20/britain-london-pollution-air-quality-health)
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19) Traffic Sounds and Cycling Safety: The Use of Electronic Devices
by Cyclists and the Quietness of Hybrid and Electric Cars
Agnieszka Stelling-Kończak, Marjan Hagenzieker, Bert Van Wee
Results suggest that the concerns regarding the use of electronic
devices while cycling and the advent of hybrid and electric vehicles
are justified. Listening to music and conversing on the phone
negatively influence cyclists’ auditory perception, self-reported
crash risk and cycling performance. With regard to electric cars, a
recurring problem is their quietness at low speeds. Implications of
these findings in terms of cycling safety are discussed.
Transport Reviews 35, 4, 2015 422-444 - read abstract
(http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01441647.2015.1017750)
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20) Driving away from diesel. Reducing air pollution from diesel vehicles
London Assembly Environment Committee
London, like most large cities, has high levels of pollutants. These
include tiny airborne toxic particles (PM) and the toxic gas nitrogen
dioxide (NO2), both emitted in vehicle exhaust, especially diesel.
Though air quality has improved over the decades, it has not improved
enough and in recent years NO2 and PM levels have remained largely
static. In places, London’s air quality is among the worst in Europe.
There is a major public health impact. Official scientific estimates
are that there are thousands more deaths each year in London as a
result: more than obesity or alcohol and second only to smoking. In
financial terms this equates to billions of pounds.
Greater London Authority, July 2015, 34pp - read report
(https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Driving%20away%20from%20diesel%20report_0.pdf)
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21) Local Health Profiles by Public Health England
(http://www.apho.org.uk/default.aspx?QN=P_HEALTH_PROFILES) and Child
Health Profiles
(http://atlas.chimat.org.uk/IAS/dataviews/childhealthprofile) at ward
level, which are available to download.
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Compiler and Editor: Barbara Rimmington, Researcher, East End Quality
of Life Initiative
10 Montgomery Terrace Road
Sheffield S6 3BU
Tel. 0114 285 9931
Fax 0114 278 7173
Email: barbara at sheffieldct.co.uk
Web: www.sheffieldeastend.org.uk
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