Air pollution could be to blame for hundreds of traffic accidents, warn researchers 

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

Air pollution could be responsible for hundreds of car accidents a year, according to the London School of  Economics.

A study looking a five years of data showed that when levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) rise just one microgramme per cubic metre, the number of collisions rises by two per cent.

Although it might seem that effect could be explained by more traffic on the roads, and therefore more pollution and more accidents, the researchers found that the increase remained even when adjusting for the extra trafficInstead, they believe that the toxic air impairs driver fitness, while watery eyes and an itchy nose could also be distracting for motorists.

A recent study found that air pollution inside a car can be more than double that on the outside because the NO2 builds up in a small space.

Lead researcher Lutz Sager of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the LSE said: “Although it has already been shown that air pollution adversely affects human health and the ability to carry out mental tasks, this is the first published study that assesses the impact on road safety.

“The analysis identifies a causal effect of air pollution on road accidents, but I can only speculate about the cause of the link.

“My main theory is that air pollution impairs drivers’ fitness. However, other explanations are possible such as air pollution causing physical distractions, perhaps an itching nose, or limiting visibility.”

Air pollution can result from many different toxins, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, small particulate matter and ozone. But it was NO2 which was found to have the biggest impact.

Mr Sager, a postdoctoral candidate, divided the UK into a grid of 32 areas each covering about 4784 square miles (7700 sq km) and mapped accidents to the level of air pollution between 2009 and 2014 provided by the Department for the Environment (Defra)

He found a rise in the concentration of nitrogen dioxide of just one microgramme per cubic metre above the daily average is sufficient to increase the average number of accidents each day by two per cent, with the biggest effect occurring in cities.

Mr Sager calculated that in the area containing west London, which suffers from some of the highest levels of air pollution, a cut of about 30 per cent in the concentration of NO2 could reduce the number of road accidents every day by almost 5 per cent.

Levels of NO2 in polluted areas of London can reach beyond 97 microgrammes per cubic metre on average.

There are around 150,000 collisions in which someone is injured in Britain every year so preventing just two per cent of crashes could avert thousands of accidents.

Mr Sager added: “Whatever the exact mechanisms responsible, the robust finding of a significant effect of air quality on road safety is important given the high cost of road traffic accidents through damage to vehicles and deaths and injuries to people every day.

“Although this analysis has used data for the United Kingdom, I think my findings are relevant to other parts of the world. These additional costs from traffic accidents strengthen the case for reducing air pollution, particularly in congested cities.

“My analysis suggests that the causal effect of air pollution on road traffic accidents measured in this study more likely stems from nitrogen dioxide or other pollutant gases rather than particulate matter.”

However other experts were more sceptical about the link between air pollution and accidents.

AA president Edmund King said: “If you think about areas which are high in air pollution they are a lot busier, with taxis and buses and lorries and where you have a greater mix of traffic you tend to have more accidents.

“It would be hard to tease apart whether a crash is caused by a driver wiping his eyes because of pollution or the type of traffic which is to blame.

“If you look at Mumbai and New Delhi where you have some of the worst air pollution, yes you have far more accidents, but it is also far more chaotic.

“So I think this research may be far-fetched as I think it would be very difficult to prove that a driver’s fitness is impaired by pollution.”

The results of the study are published today as a working paper, and will be submitted for peer review in the coming weeks.

Source: Air pollution could be to blame for hundreds of traffic accidents, warn researchers 

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Air pollution from Icelandic volcanoes

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

In September 2014, a huge volcanic eruption in Iceland emitted up to nine times as much sulphur dioxide per day as all European industry combined. Anja Schmidt and Claire Witham explore what this did to air quality across Europe.

In the early hours of 31 August 2014 a truly spectacular eruption began at the Holuhraun lava field in Iceland, 45km away from the Bárðarbunga volcano. Compared to the ash-producing 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption, the Holuhraun eruption was a rather different beast, producing very little volcanic ash but lots of lava and toxic volcanic gases that were detected at air quality monitoring stations as far away as Austria.

Events like Holuhraun are known as effusive eruptions, and specifically as fissure eruptions. The biggest of these produce enough lava to fill up to 100,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools per day for months to years. These big eruptions occur on average every 200 to 500 years, whereas smaller-volume fissure eruptions like Holuhraun occur every 40-50 years.

Less ash, more gas.

During its first month, the eruption at Holuhraun was extremely powerful, spewing fountains of lava up to 150 metres high along a 1·5km long crack in the Earth’s crust (putting the ‘fissure’ in ‘fissure eruption’). By the time the eruption had ended six months later, it had produced about 1·5km3 of lava, covering an area of around 86km2 – about 50 times the area of Regents Park in London, or equivalent to covering Regents Park in 1km of lava.

It quickly became clear that the eruption was emitting truly staggering amounts of sulphur dioxide (SO2) into the lower parts of the atmosphere. SO2 is a toxic gas that is converted to sulphuric acid aerosol particles. Both of these can affect air quality, causing respiratory problems for people exposed to them, particularly those who already have asthma or other lung difficulties; sulphuric acid can also lead to acid rain. Due to the remoteness of the eruption site and the weather conditions in Iceland continuous ground-based monitoring and measurement of SO2 was very challenging.

This is where satellite observations of the volcanic SO2 plume came to the rescue. Our team analysed satellite data and combined it with computer modelling using the Met Office’s NAME model. This let us track and compare the dispersion of the volcanic gas cloud, as well as estimate how much SO2 was emitted. We found that at its most powerful the eruption emitted about 120 kilotons of SO2 per day – eight times more than the total from all man-made sources in Europe. During September 2014, Holuhraun emitted a total of 2·0±0·6 million tons of SO2, making it the largest volcanic sulphur pollution event in Iceland for more than 200 years. Its bigger sister, the Laki eruption, took place in 1783-1784AD and produced, over eight months, an order of magnitude more lava and about 60 times more SO2 than Holuhraun did in 2014.

Detecting and monitoring volcanic pollutants

Over the course of the eruption, air quality monitoring stations in Iceland recorded unprecedented levels of SO2, often significantly exceeding the current 10-minute mean air quality standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO) to protect public health. Yet the pollution was not confined to Iceland: we found the gas was transported over very large distances and detected by air quality monitoring stations up to 2750km away from Iceland.

Away from Iceland there was no risk of long-term detrimental health effects because exposure to volcanic pollutants was brief. For instance, on 6 September 2014, volcanic pollution reached Ireland, where monitoring stations recorded short-lived (up to 24 hours) spikes in surface SO2 concentrations of just above 500μg/m3. Air pollution regulations introduced in the 1980s mean that SO2 levels from industrial emissions are very low nowadays, so the concentrations recorded on 6 September 2014 were particularly unusual.

Air quality monitoring stations across Europe were essential in detecting and characterising the pollution resulting from this eruption. These observations and our model simulations show that volcanic pollution from Icelandic fissure eruptions can easily reach Northern Europe and degrade air quality temporarily. Right now the number of SO2monitoring stations across Europe is steadily declining. SO2 concentrations are usually very low as a result of new laws aimed at reducing man-made emissions since the 1980s, so constant monitoring doesn’t seem as important as it once did. We think existing air quality monitoring stations ought to be retained, or even extended to monitor volcanic pollutants from future eruptions in Iceland. This would help us characterise and mitigate volcanic gas and aerosol particle hazards, which could be severe in the event of a large-magnitude Icelandic eruption like a repeat of the Laki eruption. In a 2011 study, we calculated that a future Laki-type eruption could degrade air quality across Europe for several weeks potentially resulting in more than 100,000 premature deaths across the continent.

The next eruption…

Every eruption is different, and those of Holuhraun and Eyjafjallajökull have shown that future Icelandic eruptions will pose new hazards and challenges for science and society. With each event, we learn more about the volcanic processes involved and broaden our understanding of how to best use observations and computer models to understand these hazards and inform decision makers.

We cannot predict the next eruption, but recent activity proves that in Europe we should prepare for the impacts of not only volcanic ash but also volcanic gases and airborne particles. Work on this source of air pollution has informed UK Government policy and led to volcanic gas and airborne particle hazards being recognised alongside more established volcanic ash hazards. As a result there are now contingency plans in the event of a future eruption, which will make society better-prepared and more resilient. This in turn is expected to minimise disruption, costs and potentially save lives.

Source: NERC – Air pollution from Icelandic volcanoes

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South Asia’s pollution spreads to Tibet 

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

New research shows how haze from Nepal and India travels over the Himalayas, causing pollution spikes on northern slopes of Everest and central Tibet.

In the past, the remoteness and high elevation of the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau was believed to protect the vast expanse of land from the chronic pollution that haunts the densely populated regions of China and South Asia. It was thought that the world’s highest mountain range would act as a barrier to stop pollution from reaching the higher glaciated peaks.

But new research from scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences show pollution is spreading over the world’s highest mountain range and across central Tibet. The team recorded major spikes in pollution this April on the northern slopes of Everest, and traced the source back to Nepal and northern India.

Brown clouds blight South Asia

Every year, particularly during the dry winter season from October until May, the heavily populated Indo-Gangetic Plain in South Asia is plagued by severe air pollution. In recent years, people in India and Nepal, in particular, have suffered from periods of suffocating air pollution, known scientifically as Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABCs).

In 2015 India’s air pollution levels overtook China’s. According to an analysis by Greenpeace of NASA satellite data, the average particulate matter exposure in India exceeded that of China’s, and more importantly China’s exposure fell 15 per cent between 2014 and 2015, while India’s was increasing by 2 per cent per year.

Pollution is worse in the winter because there is no rain to wash pollutants from the air. In Kathmandu, for example, days with clear views of the Himalayas become very rare due to the heavy brown clouds shrouding the valley. Emissions from burning fossil fuels and biomass for cooking and heating build up during the dry season when brown clouds extend from the Indian Ocean to the Himalayan ridge.

The soot, sulphates and other harmful aerosols in Atmospheric Brown Clouds pose a major threat to the water and food security of Asia, according to a 2008 study by UNEP. The soot settles on the glaciers, darkening the snow and increasing absorption of energy. This speeds up the melting of glaciers and snow pack in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas – which provide water for million of people living downstream.

Pollutants also absorb the sun and heat the atmosphere and so are thought to be as “important as greenhouse gas warming in accounting for the anomalously large warming trend observed in the elevated regions,” states the report.

With the westerlies blowing across the Indo Gangetic plain, pollutants spread across Nepal and climb up valleys and slopes of the Himalayan ranges.

Ice-core samples taken from both the southern and northern slopes of the Himalayas have also revealed rising soot concentrations during times of rapid industrialization in recent decades, indicating pollution could travel over the high mountain range.

Latest evidence

In recent years Chinese scientists have found more definitive evidence that the Himalayas do not block the passage of pollution into the central region of the Tibetan plateau. Thanks to observations at various observatory stations on the northern slopes of the Himalayas since 2009, they have found a similar concentration and type of pollutants on both the south and north sides of Mount Everest.

Professor Kang Shichang, director of the State Key Laboratory of Cryosphere Science at CAS, has been monitoring the atmosphere of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau for over 15 years.

In April this year, Kang observed a sudden peaking of black carbon at the observation site on the Qomolangma (Mount Everest) Station, 4,276 metres above sea level on the northern foothills of Mount Everest.

Typically the Everest station records black carbon concentrations of about 0.3 microgrammes per cubic metre, but on April 9-18, levels spiked to 1.2-2.4 microgrammes per cubic metre. While severe for this unpopulated area, this level of black carbon is still relatively low for China; in the country’s urban areas, black carbon concentrations tend to range between 6-11 microgrammes per cubic metre, according to a 2012 report by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The extremely high levels of black carbon in atmosphere during this period is far beyond the background figure on Everest and thus could be listed as a “pollution event,” said Kang.

Using satellite images and computer simulations of the air circulation system based on meteorological data, Kang and his research team concluded that 97 per cent of the air clusters passing through the station during that period came from northern India and the neighbouring area in Nepal. “The transport of the air masses passed most parts of Nepal before finally climbing over the Himalayas to reach the northern slopes of Mount Everest,” states the analysis from Kang’s team.

The team traced the pollution to Nepal as the major source, followed by northern India using images from the MODIS instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite. “An apparent rise of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), particularly fine aerosol particles, at the Everest station occurred, which indicated the increasing of fine particles from burned biomass [such as from cooking stoves fed by wood or crops, or from forest fires],” the report stated.

During April, when the spike in pollution on Everest was recorded, Nepal experienced a region-wide heavy haze from forest fires after prolonged drought. Both NASA satellites and local anecdotal evidence show widespread forest fires and the burning of agricultural crops from 7 April through the following week in Nepal.

Widespread effect

Transboundary air pollution does not only affect the area around Everest. In March 2009, the Namco station in central Tibet, around 800 kilometres to the northeast of the Everest station, recorded a sudden rise of AOD in March 2009 to 0.42 (AOD varied between 0.428 and 0.550 for China’s most polluted urban region in the neighbourhood area of Beijing during 2000-2013). This was a huge spike compared to the low base level of 0.029 AOD.

The results and analysis of Kang’s team were published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics in mid-2015. The research detailed “how polluted air masses from atmospheric brown cloud (ABC) over South Asia reach the Tibetan Plateau within a few days,” driven by a combination of long distance and local meteorological processes.

Every year before in the months before the monsoon, from March until May, there is a high chance of severe transboundary air pollution, Kang said, based on almost a decade of observations.

This story was published with permission from The Third Pole. Read the full story.

 

Source: South Asia’s pollution spreads to Tibet | News | Eco-Business | Asia Pacific

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Polluted air affects 92% of global population, says WHO 

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

Nine out of 10 people on the planet breathe polluted air, even outdoors, the World Health Organisation said.

Some 92% of the population live in places where air pollution exceeds WHO limits, which can contribute to lung cancer, heart disease, and strokes.

The south-east Asia and western Pacific regions account for nearly two out of every three such deaths, it said, with poorer countries “getting worse”.

Around three million deaths every year are linked to outdoor air pollution.

When “indoor” air pollution – which includes pollutants like wood smoke and cooking fires – is added, air pollution is linked to one in every nine deaths worldwide, the WHO said.

The air quality model used in the data measures the smallest particles, less than 2.5 micrometres across – which can enter the bloodstream and reach the brain.

Country-by-country data showed that Turkmenistan has the highest death rate connected to outdoor air pollution.

Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Egypt rounded out the top five.

“Rich countries are getting much better in improving the quality of the air,” Dr Carlos Dora from the WHO told the Associated Press.

“Poorer countries are getting worse. That is the overall trend.”

However, he said, North America is doing better than Europe, mostly because Europe depends more on diesel fuel and farming practices that create ammonia and methane.

China, the country with the sixth-highest death rate linked to air pollution, is relatively wealthy, but is plagued by smog in its cities and polluted air from industrial sources.

The WHO pointed to sustainable transport, waste management, and renewable energies as possible ways to reduce air pollution.

It said its latest data represented the most detailed study it has ever released. The analysis combined satellite measurements and more than 3,000 monitoring stations on the ground with air transport models.

The report is based on 2012 figures, which are the most recent available.

Source: Polluted air affects 92% of global population, says WHO – BBC News

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China tops WHO list for deadly outdoor air pollution

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

More than 1 million people died from dirty air in one year, according to World Health Organisation

China is the world’s deadliest country for outdoor air pollution, according to analysis by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The UN agency has previously warned that tiny particulates from cars, power plants and other sources are killing 3 million people worldwide each year.

For the first time the WHO has broken down that figure to a country-by-country level. It reveals that of the worst three nations, more than 1 million people died from dirty air in China in 2012, at least 600,000 in India and more than 140,000 in Russia.

At 25th out of 184 countries with data, the UK ranks worse than France, with 16,355 deaths in 2012 versus 10,954, but not as poorly as Germany at 26,160, which has more industry and 16 million more people. Australia had 94 deaths and 38,043 died in the US that year from particulate pollution.

Maria Neria, director of the WHO’s public health and the environment department, told the Guardian: “Countries are confronted with the reality of better data. Now we have the figures of how many citizens are dying from air pollution. What we are learning is, this is very bad. Now there are no excuses for not taking action.”

Gavin Shaddick, who led the international team that put together the data, said: “Globally, air pollution presents a major risk to public health and a substantial number of lives could be saved if levels of air pollution were reduced.”

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Sixteen scientists from eight international institutions worked with WHO on the analysis, which gathered data from 3,000 locations, using pollution monitors on the ground, modelling and satellite readings.

They looked at exposure to tiny particulates 2.5 microns in size, known as PM2.5s, which penetrate the lungs and are the air pollutant most strongly associated with an increased risk of death. “The real driver of ill health is ultra-fine particles, 2.5s – they have the ability to permeate the membrane of the lungs and enter our blood system,” said Shaddick, who is based at the University of Bath. “Increasingly there is an understanding that there are not just respiratory diseases but cardiovascular ones associated with PM2.5s.”

In the UK more than 90% of the population lives in areas with levels of PM2.5s above the WHO’s air-quality limits of 10 micrograms per cubic metre for the annual mean. The government is in the high court on 18 and 19 October facing a legal challenge by environmental law group ClientEarth, which says ministers’ clean-up plans for another pollutant – nitrogen dioxide – are inadequate.

Globally, 92% of the population breathes air that breaches WHO limits but the world map of deaths caused by PM2.5s changes when looked at per capita. When ranked by the number of deaths for every 100,000 people, Ukraine jumps to the top of the list at 120.

It is followed by eastern European and former Soviet states, and Russia itself, probably due to a legacy of heavy industry in the region. China drops down to 10th, at 76 per 100,000, and India falls to 27th, with 49 per 100,000.

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Most of the air pollution comes from cars, coal-fired plants and waste burning but not all of it is created by humans. Dust storms in places close to deserts also contribute to dirty air, explaining partly why Iran is at 16th highest for total deaths, at 26,000 a year.

Most of the total deaths worldwide – two out of three – occur in south-east Asia and the western Pacific, which includes China, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, South Korea and small Pacific island states.

Shaddick said: “We might think of [pollution in] Beijing as being very high, but when you fill in the gaps between the big [Chinese] cities, [air pollution in] regions [is] remarkably high compared to the WHO limits [10 grams per cubic metre for the annual mean], up in the 50s and 60s. That’s something we in the west can’t even comprehend. That was probably a bit of a shock [to me].”

The Pacific states of Brunei Darussalam, Fiji and Vanuatu have the lowest number of deaths from air pollution, the WHO found.

Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris and chair-elect of a network of cities combating climate change, said: “Fighting pollution is one of my top priorities as mayor of Paris. It is a vital public health issue and all mayors should take on their responsibility to deliver bold actions.”

The city of Paris voted on Monday to ban cars along a stretch of the river Seine to cut pollution, defeating a minority rightwing opposition.

Hidalgo added: “I have said it before and am saying it again: we cannot negotiate with Parisians’ health.”

Neira said Canada and Scandinavian countries deserved praise for curbing air pollution and singled out France too. “France is taking a lot of action, Paris is taking aggressive measures: aggressive in the good sense. [It] maybe unpopular because it’s for the health of people but they are putting some restrictions on individuals. We all need to understand this is a matter of public health,” she said.

Source: China tops WHO list for deadly outdoor air pollution | Environment | The Guardian

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40% increase of childhood cancer caused by air pollution 

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

Childhood cancer is very rare — but not as rare as it used to be.

New figures show rates have increased by 40% over the last 16 years in Britain.

It’s a worrying trend, not least because it’s unclear why it’s happening.

However, it’s thought a significant proportion of the extra cases may be linked to changes in lifestyle and environment, for both children and parents.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organisation, has classified outdoor air pollution as a cancer-causing agent, saying it causes lung cancer and is linked to bladder cancer.

“The air we breathe is filled with cancer-causing substances,” says Dr Kurt Straif of the IARC.

“Outdoor air pollution is not only a major environmental risk to health in general, it is the most important environmental cancer killer, due to the large number of people exposed.”

The main artificial sources of outdoor air pollution are transportation, stationary power generation, industrial and agricultural emissions, and residential heating and cooking, notes the IARC.

Professor Denis Henshaw, a specialist in children’s cancer believes around 30% of childhood cancer in urban areas is linked with air pollution.

In 2014, the Childhood Leukaemia International Consortium (CLIC) found that when parents are exposed to pesticides during pregnancy or conception, there was an increased risk of leukaemia for their child.

This risk applies to both the mother and the father, whose sperm may be affected.

Radiation is known to increase cancer risk in children and adults, and children who have radiotherapy for cancer have a slightly increased risk of developing another cancer later.

Henshaw says data suggests 5% of childhood leukaemia is linked to radon, a radioactive gas found naturally in the ground.

It diffuses into open air and isn’t a health hazard outside, but a house can trap radon gas.

However, researchers say studies show there may only be a weak link between indoor levels of radon gas and the risk of childhood leukaemia.

The IARC classes electromagnetic fields (EMF), of the type associated with our electricity supply, as ‘possibly carcinogenic’ to humans, based on studies that reported an approximate doubling of leukaemia risk for children exposed at average levels above 0.3 – 0.4 microtesla.

However, no conclusive link has been found between EMF and cancer.

Studies suggest carcinogens from a mother’s diet can cross the placenta into an unborn baby’s bloodstream, and Henshaw, says some of the carcinogens could come from processed meats and burned barbecue meats eaten by pregnant women.

Eating a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables is important for all the family, including pregnant women and children, says Henshaw.

In addition, an Australian study found mothers who took folate and iron supplements during pregnancy had more than a 60% reduced risk of their children developing leukaemia.

Sending children to day care in infancy may have a protective effect against leukaemia, too.

“The theory is that children are exposed to common infections from mixing with other children, and this strengthens their immune system,” explains Henshaw.

Source: 40% increase of childhood cancer caused by air pollution | Irish Examiner

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Air Pollution and Your Skin 

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

Research shows air pollution damages and prematurely ages skin

Lung and heart diseases have long been linked to air pollution, but the effects on skin are now beginning to be understood.

Air pollution, especially in large and heavily polluted cities, is causing skin damage, according to emerging research.

In urban areas most air pollution comes from vehicle exhaust. Among the pollutants in this exhaust are tiny particles called PMs, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and chemicals like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

From eczema and hives to accelerating wrinkles and age spots, air pollution is being linked to damage to the body’s largest organ. However, scientists also say that some common skin routines may also be making the problem worse.

“With traffic pollution emerging as the single most toxic substance for skin, the dream of perfect skin is over for those living and working in traffic-polluted areas unless they take steps to protect their skin right now,” Dr. Mervyn Patterson, a cosmetic doctor at Woodford Medical clinics in the UK, said in an interview with The Guardian.

Jean Krutmann, MD, is the director at the Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine in Germany. He and colleagues completed a study of over 1,800 people in Germany and China that showed when air pollution increased so did age spots on the patients’ cheeks.

“It is not a problem that is limited to China or India–we have it in Paris, in London, wherever you have larger urban agglomerations you have it,” Dr. Krutman said in a press release. “In Europe everywhere is so densely populated and the particles are being distributed by the wind, so it is very difficult to escape from the problem.”

The study was reported in May in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Pollutants are able to pass through the skin, and once in the body cause inflammation. These pollutants can increase melanocytes (the cells that create pigment in the skin), make blood vessels grow larger and trigger the enzymes that reabsorb damaged collagen. Collagen is one of the supporting structures of the skin. The enzymes can remove so much that skin begins to sag and wrinkle.

Researchers are now looking for ways to protect the skin from air pollution. Some have added vitamin B3 to skin care products as it can help heal damaged skin. Others are looking at different molecules or chemicals that may protect the skin from damage in the first place.

Researchers also noted that some of the things people do in their quest for smoother skin add to air pollution’s effects, like retinoids, glycolic acid and skin scrubs.

“You can also put on a very nice physical shield in the form of good quality mineral makeup. That produces an effect like a protective mesh and probably has some trapping effect, protecting against the initial penetration of particles,” Dr. Patterson said. “But you also need always to try to remove that shield in the evening, washing the slate clean every night.”

Source: Air Pollution and Your Skin | dailyRx News

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Cardiff holds first ‘car-free day’ to cut air pollution 

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

Concerns over air pollution in the city centre means Cardiff will hold its first car-free day on Thursday.

But only Park Place in Cathays will be closed to all traffic until 00:00 BST on Friday.

It will become a street market and host a transport exhibition giving information on sustainable travel.

While all commuters will be encouraged to leave their cars at home in a move designed to combat air pollution, no other areas will be closed off.

Jane Lorimer, director of cycle charity Sustrans Cymru said it was a “positive first step”.

Councillors backed plans to ban cars in the city centre for one day each year, to cut air pollution, last October.

‘Grossly irresponsible’

But cabinet member Ramesh Patel said it would be “grossly irresponsible” to widen the area before the first plan had been reviewed.

He added: “With the new bus interchange developing, a cycling strategy being produced, planned investment in our railways and future plans for the metro, sustainable transport is a major priority for the council.

“Making walking, cycling and public transport more attractive and viable options for commuters and residents are integral to Cardiff’s continued development and achieving our aspiration to become Europe’s most liveable capital city.”

Car-free days already take place in Delhi, Paris and London.

It is claimed air pollution is linked to tens of thousands of deaths in the UK annually.

Source: Cardiff holds first ‘car-free day’ to cut air pollution – BBC News

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