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Evidence Base Home » Air Quality » Specific air pollutants - particulate matter PM ozone nitrogen oxide NOx impact human health

Articles in Specific air pollutants - particulate matter (PM), ozone, nitrogen oxide (NOx) - impact human health.

  • Fine particulate matter (PM), oxides of nitrogen and sulfur impact human health.

    WHO. 2003. Health aspects of air pollution with particulate matter, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. Report on a WHO Working Group. Bonn, Germany 13-15 January 2003. Copenhagen: World Health Organization.

  • There is a 1.0 - 8.0% increased risk of mortality for every 50 ug/m3 PM10. There is a 1.0 - 3.5% increase in mortality for every 25 ug/m3 PM2.5.

    US EPA. Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter. Revised 2004. Available at HYPERLINK "http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=85763#Download" http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=85763#Download.

  • Average life expectancy is decreased by 1.5 years when you compare cities at the highest and lowest PM levels.

    Brunekreef B, Janssen NA, Hartog J. 1997. Air pollution from truck traffic and lung function in children living near motorways. Epidemiology 8:298-303.

  • There is an increased risk of dying of between 0.2 ? 0.6% for each increase in 10 ug/m3 in O3 (smog).

    WHO. 2003. Health aspects of air pollution with particulate matter, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. Report on a WHO Working Group. Bonn, Germany 13-15 January 2003. Copenhagen: World Health Organization.

  • In a Southern California study, children were followed for 5 years, and those children who played three or more sports showed in a high ozone community showed a 3.3 times higher risk of having asthma than those who did not play sports, but still lived in a high-ozone community.

    Peters JM, Avol E, Guaderman J, Linn WS, Navidi W, London SJ, Margolis H, Rappaport E, Vora H, Gong H, Thomas DC. 1999. A study of twelve southern California communities with differing levels and types of air pollution. Am J. Respir. Crit. Care Med 159(3):768-775.

  • Rate ratio of most polluted cities compared to least polluted = 1.26 times higher mortality rate from respiratory illness comparing the most air-polluted to the least air-polluted.

    Dockery DP, Xu AC, Siping, Spengler JD, Ware JH, Ray ME, Ferris BG, Speizer FE. 1993. An association between air pollution and mortality in six US cities. New England Journal of Medicine 329(24):1753-1759.

  • According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, reducing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM 2.5 by 1 mg3 from 15 to 14 would result in 1,900 fewer premature deaths, 3,700 fewer non-fatal heart attacks, and 2,000 fewer emergency room visits for asthma each year.

    Dockery DP, Xu AC, Siping, Spengler JD, Ware JH, Ray ME, Ferris BG, Speizer FE. 1993. An association between air pollution and mortality in six US cities. New England Journal of Medicine 329(24):1753-1759.

  • According to the California Air Resources Board, attaining California PM standards would annually prevent: - 6,500 premature deaths (3% of all deaths) - 4,000 hospital admissions for respiratory disease - 3,000 admissions for cardiovascular disease - 2,000 asthma-related ER visits - 400,000 cases of lower respiratory symptoms (such as cough) in children - 400,000 cases of upper respiratory symptoms (runny nose, itching eyes) in children - 8,000 cases of chronic bronchitis - 500,000 cases of respiratory illness (colds and flu) - 350,000 asthma attacks

    CARB. 2004. Recent research findings: Health effects of particulate matter and ozone air pollution, January 2004. California Air Resources Board. American Lung Association. Available at HYPERLINK "http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/health/fs/PM-03fs.pdf" http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/health/fs/PM-03fs.pdf.

  • Health effects associated with short-term exposure to PM 2.5 include: increased hospital admission and ER visits for cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases, non-fatal heart attacks, premature death in people with heart and lung disease, lung function changes especially in children and people with lung diseases such as asthma.

    EPA. 2001. Vehicle travel: Recent trends and environmental impacts. Chapter 4 of Our Built and Natural Environments: A Technical Review of the Interactions Between Land Use, Transportation, and Environmental Quality. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Available at HYPERLINK "http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/built_chapter3.pdf" http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/built_chapter3.pdf