Air pollution and hospital admissions for heart disease in eight u. Air pollution represents the biggest environmental risk to health. The multiyear tile plot shows longterm changes in air quality. Although there are hundreds of sources of outdoor air pollution, the source categories that are the largest contributors to most air pollutants in many locations are. According to the world health organization who and other agencies such as the. This volume of the iarc monographs provides an evaluation of the carcinogenicity of outdoor air pollution outdoor air pollution is a complex mixture of pollutants originating from natural and anthropogenic sources, including.
Air pollution affects all regions, settings, socioeconomic groups, and age groups. The methods in the series use the general framework for global a ssessments described in the world health report who, 2002. Summary air pollution, particularly in urban areas, constitutes a public health concern, as it has a harmful effect on the health, survival and activities of humans and other living organisms. Begin by giving a little of the history of outdoor air pollution. Heart disease, stroke, and outdoor air pollution, epa456. Pdf air pollution is one of the major problems faced by the world. Air pollution facts, causes and the effects of pollutants in.
Individual cigarettes are point sources of air pollution. Iarc monograph on carcinogenicity of outdoor air pollution. Learn about what causes air pollution and how to help reduce the effects. Major air pollutants and pollutant classes of interest, their physical state, and their sources. This paper examines the effect of outdoor air pollution. In 1970, congress passed the clean air act that established national air pollutant standards for 6 criteria pollutants. Air quality air quality resources for professionals cdc. This is a result of hike rapidly in urbanization, industrialization and huge volume of traffic in both developed under developed nations of the world. According to who global air pollution database, out of the 15 most polluted cities in the world, 14 belong to india. Air plays a vital role not only in nature but also in the lives of human beings and all living organisms. More than half of this disease burden is borne by the populations of developing countries.
Roughly 6 times more than the food and drink consumed per day. Definition of outdoor air pollution outdoor air pollution. The combined effects of ambient outdoor and household air pollution cause about 7 million premature deaths every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute. Outdoor air pollution an overview sciencedirect topics. Such substances include ozone o3, airborne lead pb, carbon monoxide co, sulphur oxides sox and nitrogen oxides nox. The who air quality guidelines are designed to offer guidance in reducing the health impacts of air pollution. An air pollutant is any substance in air that could, in high enough concentrations, harm. Outdoor air pollution is defined as the presence of one or more substances in the atmospheric air at concentrations and duration above the natural limits. Characteristics of exposure to outdoor air pollution.
The most dangerous consequences from outdoor air pollution are related to the number of premature deaths. Outdoor air pollution adversely affects human health and is estimated to be responsible for five to ten per cent of the total annual premature mortality in the contiguous united states. The common sources of outdoor air pollution are emissions caused by combustion processes from motor vehicles, solid fuel burning and industry. Living organisms can survive without water for some time but cannot survive without air because when we breathe then we intake oxygen from air and releases carbon. A tool kit pdf icon pdf 726 kb heart health and air pollution. Indoor air pollution refers to toxic contaminants that we encounter in our daily lives in our homes, schools and workplaces 1. Lyongeneva, 17 october 20 the specialized cancer agency of the world health organization, the international agency for research on cancer iarc, announced today that it has classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans group 1. Environmental protection agency sets and enforces air quality standards only for ambient air. In both developed and developing nations, indoor air pollution poses a greater health risk than outdoor air pollution. Clean air council blog archive outdoor air pollution. Although air pollution is a universal issue, it is likely to. Assessment and control of indoor air pollution, pp. According to the california air resources board arb, part of the california environmental protection agency, many pollutants build up rapidly indoors, resulting in higher levels than usually found outside, especially in newer homes where tighter construction.
Other pollution sources include smoke from bushfires, windblown dust, and biogenic emissions from vegetation pollen and mould spores. Of those deaths, around 3 million are attributable solely to ambient outdoor air pollution. Ozone reacts chemically oxidizes with internal body tissues that it comes in contact with. Overall, air pollution causes the deaths of around 7 million people worldwide each year, and is the worlds largest single environmental health risk. Since mixtures of air pollutants are ubiquitous in the urban atmosphere, it has been difficult to ascertain the specific pollutants responsible for the. It is caused by chemical reactions between pollutants derived from different sources, primarily automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. In simplest terms, air pollution describes anything in the air that doesnt normally belong. Sep 16, 2015 in accord with the global burden of disease for 2010 ref. The weight of an air contaminant in a cubic meter of air 3mgm and the volume ratio ppm v, or just ppm are normally used. Ozone o3 is a highly reactive gas that is a form of oxygen. Background the san joaquin valley sjv in california ranks among the worst in the usa in terms of air quality, and its residents report some of the highest rates of asthma symptoms and asthmarelated emergency department ed visits and hospitalisations in california.
Outdoor air pollutants emory department of pediatrics. Outdoor pollution smog is a type of largescale outdoor pollution. According to the iarc, the predominant artificial sources of outdoor air pollution are transportation, stationary power generation, industrial and agricultural emissions, and residential heating and cooking. Particle pollution levels can be high any time of year. Unless more stringent policies are adopted, findings point to a significant increase in global emissions and concentrations of air. According to the world health organization who and other agencies such as. Outdoor air pollution environmental health student portal. Premature mortality related to united states crossstate. Air pollution and disease burden the lancet planetary health. Commonly measured air pollutants include particulate matter pm2.
When you think of air pollution, you probably think of things like smog, power plants and emissions from cars and trucks. Mar 12, 2019 according to who global air pollution database, out of the 15 most polluted cities in the world, 14 belong to india. Near busy roads, in urban areas especially during rush hour, and in industrial areas. Outdoor air pollution and uncontrolled asthma in the san. Who air quality guidelines for particulate matter, ozone. In accord with the global burden of disease for 2010 ref. This paper examines the effect of outdoor air pollution on child health in india. Outdoor air quality in urban areas european environment agency. Here, the main types of air pollution commonly found in urban environments are pre.
The association between outdoor air pollution and a variety of disease outcomes including asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular disease has been extensively investigated. Air pollution ppt and pdf for free download study mafia. The combined effects of ambient outdoor and household air pollution cause about 7 million premature deaths every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung. Reduction in fine particulate air pollution and mortalityextended followup of the harvard six cities study. The health effects of trafficrelated air pollution, comprising a mixture of pollutants, is an area of recent research interest. Outdoor air pollution definition of outdoor air pollution. Air pollution from different sources harmfully affects to. Wildfires could impact your indoor air quality iaq learn how you can reduce your exposure to wildfire smoke inside your home. Using california health interview survey data, the authors examined associations between air pollution. In 2012, one out of every nine deaths was the result of air pollution related conditions.
Classifying outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans is an important step, said iarc director christopher wild, phd. When there is smoke in the air from wood stoves, fireplaces, burning vegetation, or forest fires. Air pollution represents a considerable threat to health worldwide. Outdoor air pollution is rarely the main cause for respiratory diseases and symptoms, it is, however, a risk factor for increasing diseases and symptoms in populations. Outdoor air pollution is a complex mixture of several pollutants. Burning of fossil fuels by motor vehicles including cars, buses and trucks and. Air pollution may also cause sensory irritation and decrease wellbeing. The economic consequences of outdoor air pollution en oecd. Sources of air pollutants outdoor air pollution ncbi. Air pollution is important because it has the potential to harm both our health and our environments. This report provides a comprehensive assessment of the economic consequences of outdoor air pollution in the coming decades, focusing on the impacts on mortality, morbidity, and changes in crop yields as caused by high concentrations of pollutants. Air pollution and illness ck12 provides reading, practice, and critical thinking, activities, and study guides on how indoor and outdoor air pollution affects human health cleaning the air teach engineering this lesson provides students an opportunity to work as engineers to remove particulate matter from the air. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze globallypublished literature in outdoor air pollution related.
Exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollutants may increase an individuals risk for morbidity and mortality from a variety of different conditions in multiple organ systems. Outdoor air pollution scope of the problem worldwide, outdoor air pollution contributes to. Environmental protection agency, office of air and radiation. Outdoor air pollution national library of medicine information about outdoor air pollution, and links to medline plus, agencies, and hazardous chemicals. Subscribe to our rss feed to keep up with the latest news, including scheduled system downtime, major data updates, etc. Air pollution is the name for the mixture of harmful particles and gases in the air around us that we breathe. Outdoor air pollution is a major threat to global public health that needs responsible participation of researchers at. Outdoor air pollution is a major threat to global public health that needs responsible participation of researchers at all levels. Iarc previously evaluated several individual chemicals and mixtures that occur in outdoor air pollution including diesel engine exhaust, solvents, metals, and dustsbut this is the first time that experts have classified outdoor air pollution as a cause of cancer, according to the agency. The world health organization who categorizes air pollution into two forms. This website provides access to outdoor air quality data collected from state, local and tribal monitoring agencies across the united states. The economic consequences of outdoor air pollution. Those are all examples of outdoor air pollution, but. This definition implicitly acknowledges that some substances that are considered to be air pollutants are present naturally.
Outdoor air pollutants from individual point sources are subject to plume rise if the temperature of the smoke plume is hotter than the surrounding air. These toolkits can help you communicate with consumers about public health issues related to air pollution. The economic consequences of outdoor air pollution oecd. Recently, air pollution with particulate matters pm, especially those with less. Millions of people worldwide are exposed to outdoor air pollution at levels that substantially exceed existing healthbased guidelines. Disease gbd study estimates that air pollution indoor and outdoor combined was the cause of 5. Air pollution and health from smog hanging over cities to smoke inside the home, air pollution poses a major threat to health and climate. Asthma and outdoor air pollution, epa452f04002 author. The contribution of outdoor air pollution sources to.
Heart disease, stroke, and outdoor air pollution, epa456f. Outdoor air pollution vi preface the disease burden of a population, and how that burden is distributed across different subpopulations e. Assessing research output is an important step in highlighting national and international contribution and collaboration in a certain field. Air pollution, facts and information national geographic. Indoor and outdoor air pollution pulmonology advisor. Report to congress on indoor air quality, volume ii. According to the california air resources board arb, part of the california environmental protection agency, many pollutants build up rapidly indoors, resulting in higher levels than usually found outside, especially in newer homes where tighter construction prevents. This report projects an increase in the number of premature deaths due to outdoor air pollution from approximately 3 million people in 2010, in line with the latest global burden of disease estimates, to 69 million annually in 2060. Ozone, air quality, and asthma kidshealth from nemours information about air pollutants such as ground level ozone, and their health effects, including asthma. Outdoor air pollution and your health american thoracic society. Outdoor air pollution a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths. Cities are often centers of these types of activities, and many suffer from the effects of smog, especially during the warm months of the year.
The effects of air pollution wreck havoc on human health and our planet as a whole. Outdoor ambient air pollution presents a number of issues in the school environment, including exposure of children to diesel exhaust from older buses, potential. Air pollution is produced by both human activity and naturally occurring events. It results primarily from the action of sunlight on hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides emitted in fuel combustion. These exposures cause andor exacerbate respiratory diseases and diseases in other organ systems. While outdoor air pollution is partly caused by incipient industrialization, this represents a temporary tradeoff for the poor escaping hunger, infectious disease, and indoor air pollution to be better able to afford food, health care, and education. The introductory volume in the series outlines the general method prussustun et. Exposure to air pollutants is continuous and, usually, involuntary. Pdf exposure to outdoor air pollution and its human.
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