Fast Facts about

Health Effects of Air Pollution

What’s in the air? measure the amount of the pollutant in the place we’re
studying. Toxicology studies measure how poisonous the
Air contains 78% nitrogen and 20% oxygen along with pollutant is to humans and animals. Epidemiology
small amounts of carbon dioxide, argon, and water studies investigate the association of a pollutant with
vapor. human disease and ask whether the pollutant causes a
disease. Controlled exposure studies investigate the
What is air pollution? toxic effect of pollutants on animals and cells in the lab.
Air pollution is suspended particles and gases including
carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. Suspended
particles are called particulate matter (PM), which is a
mixture of tiny particles and liquid droplets that includes
acids, organic chemicals, metals, and dust. PM is
measured by size: PM2.5 is 2.5 micrometers (μm) in
diameter. For comparison, a human hair is 70μm in
diameter.

Where does air pollution come from?

Air pollution comes from natural and human-generated
sources. Natural sources include volcanoes, forest fires,
pollen, and dust. Weather patterns such as temperature
inversions hold the pollution in place. How does air pollution affect health?
Human sources of air pollution include industry, power The World Health Organization estimates that PM2.5
plants, and vehicles including cars, trucks, trains, planes, contributes to 800,000 premature deaths per year. A
and boats. Major worldwide sources of pollution from recent WA State Dept of Ecology study estimates 1100
particulate material include burning of wood and land deaths a year due to PM2.5. The largest sources of PM
clearing, transportation, and industrial sources, in Puget Sound are vehicle emissions and wood smoke.
particularly power generation.
Exposure to PM2.5 for just a few hours or weeks can
How do we study its health effects? cause cardiovascular effects including atherosclerosis,
heart failure, heart attack, stroke, arrhythmia, thrombo-
First we have to decide which pollutant to study. There sis, and death. Brief exposure is more dangerous for the
are four types of studies. Exposure assessment studies elderly, those with preexisting cardiac artery disease,
people with diabetes or obesity, and for women. Longer-
term exposure to high levels of PM2.5 increases the risk
of death.
Exposure to PM appears to speed the development and
progression of atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart
failure and diabetes. Other health effects are lung
diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, reduced
lung function, and lung cancer.
In children, air pollution is linked to asthma and
bronchitis, increases in school absences and ER visits.
Children living near diesel trucking routes are more likely
to have decreased lung function, bronchitis and allergies.
Studies show that incidence of lung cancer increases Can society help protect everybody?
with long-term exposure to traffic and the closer the
residence is to a major road. Studies also show that Increasing evidence shows that air pollution from traffic
children who live or attend school close to traffic have an has harmful cardiovascular effects. Traffic is everywhere
increased risk of asthma. in modern society. Many people live within 1/3 mile of a
major road and are continually exposed to air pollution.
What can we do to protect ourselves? Many of these people live where they do because they
can’t afford to live elsewhere.
We can try to reduce air pollution. For example, the
average American spends 55 minutes every day traveling Pollutant concentrations are monitored in the US and
in a car. Turn off your car engine when waiting in traffic. made available to the public through the Environmental
Protection Agency at www.epa.gov. Ozone and PM2.5
We can limit our exposure by spending less time in and
often exceed the established government standard and
around traffic, avoiding secondhand smoke and wood
public air quality warnings are issued.
smoke, limiting the amount of PM that penetrates into
our homes, and reducing our workplace exposure. Drive Federal regulations for industrial and vehicle emissions
with the windows closed, and set the vehicle ventilation that began 40 years ago with the Clean Air Act of 1970
to recycle the air. have substantially reduced PM and other pollutant levels.
Filters, room air cleaners and air conditioners can help Local, state and federal policies that regulate vehicle and
reduce indoor PM. More aggressive measures include industrial emissions protect people from exposure to PM
wearing a face mask, installing PM filters in your home, and other pollutants and help protect public health.
and moving to a less polluted region.
Food for thought
The EPA Air Quality Index and media alerts make people
aware of local air quality. When air quality is unhealthy, 1. When and where am I exposed to air pollution?
those with heart or lung disease, older adults, and 2. When and where am I contributing to it?
children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. 3. How can I reduce my exposure?
Others should continue to exercise but try to avoid
polluted places. When you have a choice, don’t bike next 4. How can I reduce my emissions?
to busy roads or at high traffic times. 5. Where is the worst local air pollution?

Reducing exposure makes a difference: Decreasing the 6. What can be done to reduce air pollution in Seattle?
PM levels in an area can reduce cardiovascular mortality 7. What should be done, and who is responsible?
within a few years.
Where to go to learn more
1. Brook RD, et al., Particulate matter air pollution and
cardiovascular disease: An update to the scientific
statement from the American Heart Association.
Circulation 2010, PMID 20458016.

2. Air Quality Index (AQI). Local air quality conditions

and forecasts. http://airnow.gov
3. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. www.pscleanair.org
4. The Environmental Protection Agency has
information about air pollution, The Clean Air Act and
more at www.epa.gov > Popular Topics > Air
Pollution.
5. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
Health & Education. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/
topics/exposure/air-pollution/

Photos: ©2012 www.clipart.com

The Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health, University of Washington, 5/2012. NIEHS Grant #ESO7033, contact: [email protected]