Worst Kind of Heart Attack Linked to Air Pollution, Experts Say 

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

Medical experts from Intermountain Medical Center met Wednesday morning to discuss recent findings linking increased short term air pollution in the Beehive state to serious health problems.

“It primarily effects the worst kind of heart attack, which is STEMI heart attack,  where there is a very severe affect on specific vessels of the heart that can cause the major pumping chamber to stop,” said Dr. Benjamin Horne, Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute.

Dr. Horne and a team of medical experts have been studying air pollution and health along the Wasatch Front for over a decade. They know that on bad air days they can count on an increase of people admitted to the hospital.

“It’s just something that we’ve become used to. That we see higher activity for heart attack and chest pain and people whose hearts are laboring more to pump the right amount of blood out to the body–that they come in not feeling well,” said Dr. Horne.

From their research they’ve found those most at risk are people with underlying heart disease. “A lot of people don’t necessarily know if they have it, but we know the risk factors. People who are older, people who have high cholesterol, or blood pressure or diabetes and especially smokers,” said Dr. Horne.

Their findings have led the team to develop a care process model to help physicians understand what can be done during consultations with patients.

“We’ve developed some fact sheets for people with heart disease, or stroke, or asthma and COPD, and pregnant women that air pollution tends to effect these groups more,” said Dr. Horne.

Fact sheets, common sense guidelines and more information on air quality and health can be found here.

The full study can be found here.

Source: Worst Kind of Heart Attack Linked to Air Pollution, Experts Say –

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Should cars be banned from Manchester city centre for one day a month to cut pollution? 

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

The idea is part of a ‘Air Quality Manifesto’ drawn up by the environmental charity Global Action Plan

Pollution is so bad in Manchester city centre that there are calls for cars to be banned for a whole day every six months.

Other suggestions in a new ‘Air Quality manifesto’ include air quality being incorporated into the weather forecast and workers being allowed to work from home when pollution levels are high.

Manchester’s air is among the most polluted in the country and Public Health England has predicted that 458 people will die prematurely from air pollution in the city in 2016 – more than from obesity.

Environmental charity Global Action Plan (GAP) believe something needs to be done and so have created the manifesto.

They are also calling for a ‘low emission zone’ in the city centre.

Caroline Watson, Partner at Global Action Plan, said: “You might imagine the deaths and illnesses that result from air pollution were consigned to the Manchester of the Industrial Revolution, but today’s research shows that at least 458 will die early this year.

“In 2015 that is simply unacceptable. Individual people must be empowered to take steps to avoid pollution’s worst effects and we want to work with local and national governments to tackle the problem too.

“Air pollution is not just an environmental threat it is a public health risk. Our five-point manifesto shows the council that there are steps they could take to improve the lives of the people who live here and Global Action Plan would welcome any opportunity to help out.”

One GAP initiative, the Cleaner Air Programme, has seen the introduction of Clean Air Zones around hospitals in other parts of the UK.

Graeme Sherriff from Manchester Friends of the Earth said: “For the sake of everyone’s health and quality of life we need commitments to reduce air pollution and bold investment in cleaner forms of transport including walking, cycling and public transport. Manchester Friends of the Earth supports the actions in this air quality manifesto.”

Manchester City Council indicated the manifesto did not apply to them.

But Councillor Kate Chappell, Executive Member for Environment, added: “Air quality is an issue which we take extremely seriously.

“There is extensive action being taken Greater Manchester-wide to address this including improvements to public transport and cycling routes and investment in electrical vehicle charging points.

“It makes sense for this action to be at a Greater Manchester-wide level to make an impact and so that different places don’t simply do different things.

“There will be consultation this year on Greater Manchester’s Low Emissions Strategy and Air Quality Action Plan and while we welcome their views we would encourage GAP and other interested groups and individuals to get involved in that.”

A Transport for Greater Manchester spokesman said they had noted the manifesto and recognised Greater Manchester faces a ‘significant challenge’ due to emissions from road traffic and congestion.

He said they were committed to reducing emissions and improving air quality to bring health benefits to people.

He said to ensure EU nitrogen dioxide emission levels were met they had drafted an air quality plan to improve air quality, reduce ill health and promote low emission culture.

The plan will go to public consultation in 2016.

He added: “We would encourage Global Action Plan, and all interested parties, to engage with us on these important issues during the consultation.”

Air Quality Manifesto

Global Action Plan are asking Manchester City Council to consider the following:

1. Manchester council could create a city centre Low Emission Zone, similar to London where high-pollution vehicles such as lorries, coaches and buses are charged, while smaller vehicles can travel for free.

2. A car free day in Manchester – The Council could look at introducing periodic car-free days in Manchester to reduce air pollution. They could also ask their employees to leave their cars at home for one day every six months as a way of leading by example.

3. Regional weather forecasters could report local air quality levels alongside the weather – Official channels can really get people to think about an issue and increase its prominence in their daily lives. Weather forecasters could help people understand the impact of air quality better if they included it in their broadcasts.

4. Employees should be given flexi-working days if air pollution is too high – Manchester Council could lead the way on this and ask employees to work from home if air pollution hits dangerous levels – this would increase awareness and limit the effects of exposure. They could then lead a campaign to ask other organisations and businesses to follow suit.

5. Manchester City Council should explore making front-line institutions, such as hospitals, schools and care homes, clean air zones – This would raise awareness about poor air quality and reduce the impact of air pollution on the most vulnerable.

Source: Should cars be banned from Manchester city centre for one day a month to cut pollution? – Manchester Evening News

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Beijing to invest 16.54 bn yuan to tackle air pollution in 2016

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

Beijing plans to invest 16.54 billion yuan to tackle the air pollution and sets a target to reduce average annual PM2.5 concentration by 5 percent this year, according to the municipal government work report released Saturday.

According to the annual report on air pollution control from the Beijing EnvironmentalProtection Bureau, Beijing enjoyed 186 blue-sky days, or 51 percent, during 2015. Additionally, the number of days with good air amounted to two weeks longer than in2014. PM 2.5 concentrations decreased by 10 percent since 2013. Especially in the first tenmonths of last year, PM 2.5 concentration decreased to 69.7 cumulative micrograms/cubicmeter, down 21.8 percent.

The report said the four main pollutants which directly affect air quality have beenreduced. Compared with 2014, the concentrations of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, PM10 and PM2.5 have dropped respectively by 38.1 percent, 11.8 percent, 12.3 percent and6.2 percent.

In 2016, Beijing will implement the clean energy project in 400 villages, complete thetransformation of coal-fired boilers of 2,100 MW and eliminate 200,000 cars with highemissions. At the same time, it will improve proportion of new energy vehicles used inpublic transportation, sanitation and postal industries. It will also speed up the elimination of the small polluting companies in the rural–urban fringes.

Source: Beijing to invest 16.54 bn yuan to tackle air pollution in 2016 – People’s Daily Online

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Three maps that show just how bad air pollution is in Britain and around the world

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday said that air pollution now constitutes a “public health emergency” across the world.

Eight days into 2016, London breached its own legal limit for air pollution for the entire year. Under regulations, the city is allowed to exceed maximum safe limits for 18 hours a year, an allowance that had already been exhausted by 8 January.

The below graphic from the i newspaper shows air pollution readings for the UK taken at 7pm on Wednesday 20 January, according to data from the World Air Quality Index.

The World Air Quality Index also run a real time map with current readings around the globe, as measured by the same scale in the graphic above.

Screen Shot 2016-01-25 at 07.36.06

Pollution is particularly heavy in south east Asia, which is why the index runs an eight-day forecast for the region, the outline of which looks roughly like this:

In December, Chinese authorities issued a pollution ‘red alert’ in Beijing which closed schools and business and urged people to stay indoors to avoid the smog.

Source: Three maps that show just how bad air pollution is in Britain and around the world

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More people dying early from air pollution in England 

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

Premature deaths attributed to particulate pollution rose in 2013 after falling in previous years, government figures show

The rise in deaths attributed to air pollution was announced as scientists warned of high particulate pollution across much of London and south-east England. Photograph: Trevor Aston/Alamy

The number of premature deaths attributed to particulate pollution has risen,government figures show.

According to Public Health England, the percentage of premature deaths attributable to minute particles known as PM2.5s rose to 5.3% in 2013 in England from 5.1% in 2012. The death rate in London rose to 6.7% from 6.6%. The figures follow significant improvements in air quality across England in 2010 and 2011.

The figures were announced as scientists at King’s College London warned of “high” or “very high” particulate pollution across much of London and south-east England for a second day. People with heart conditions or breathing problems were advised to reduce exercise and to stay at home.

Much of the polluted air has drifted in from continental Europe and has been trapped by the cold air which is now spread over eastern England. “It has travelled through industrialised and urban parts of Europe over the last three days, picking up emissions.

“This will add to London’s already elevated pollution concentrations, and we are therefore likely to see widespread ‘high’ particulate pollution across the city with an outside chance of ‘very high’ at some very busy roadside locations,” said a King’s spokesman.

The high pollution levels are expected to drop within 24 hours as warmer, wetter air spreads from the west.

The government’s air pollution forecast today said: “Moderate, locally high, air pollution around London, which has built up due to persistent light winds, should gradually disperse during the day as winds begin to pick up a little. Similar for the pockets of moderate air pollution observed around central England.”

Official government figures suggest 29,000 people die prematurely from air pollution a year across the UK from particle pollution emitted by vehicles, central heating systems and dust.

However this figure does not include deaths attributable to the noxious gas NO2 which is largely emitted from diesel engines, the impact of which is proving harder to distinguish from particulate pollution than scientists had hoped.

Environment groups called for government and city authorities to issue better warnings of air pollution episodes and for immediate traffic restrictions.

Screen Shot 2016-01-22 at 08.45.43

A spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth said: “There must be proper public warnings when there are bad air pollution episodes like today’s – but rather than people having to restrict their activities it must be vehicles which are restricted so that people’s health is protected.”

Source: More people dying early from air pollution in England | Environment | The Guardian

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Air pollution levels high as sandstorm envelopes Israel

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

Due to the heavy pollution levels, the Environmental Protection Ministry advised that sensitive population members, including those with heart and lung conditions, the elderly, children and pregnant

As a sandstorm blurred  visibility and engulfed much of Israel on Monday, air pollution levels climbed problematically high.

Hourly maximum levels of PM10 – particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns or less – reached up to 27 times typical daily values on Monday morning, with the highest level recorded at noon in Rehovot, at 1,592 micrograms per cubic meter, according to Environmental Protection Ministry data. On a typical non-stormy day, levels of PM10 rest at around 60 micrograms per cubic meter.

Due to the heavy pollution levels, the Environmental Protection Ministry advised throughout the day that sensitive population members, including those with heart and lung conditions, the elderly, children and pregnant women, refrain from strenuous physical activity.

Although pollution levels reached their peaks in most regions of Israel between noon and 2 p.m., the ministry warned during the evening hours that significant concentrations of dust still impacted much of the country.

Improvements in air quality would only occur once expected rains begin – overnight in the North and gradually, during the morning hours, in the Tel Aviv region, the ministry said.

Other areas in addition to Rehovot with particularly high hourly PM10 values included Hadera, with 1,470 micrograms per cubic meter at 1 p.m.; Modi’in, with 1,193 micrograms per cubic meter at 1 p.m.; Beit Shemesh, with 1,175 micrograms per cubic meter at noon; and Arad, with 1,156 micrograms per cubic meter at noon.

Although the sandstorm only began wreaking havoc on Monday morning, 24-hour average pollution levels were still high as of 6 p.m. on Monday, according to ministry data.

In Rehovot and Hadera, the 24-hour PM10 averages were 8.5 times normal levels, while they were 6.9, 6.7 and 6.5 times typical levels in Tel Aviv, Nir Galim and Kiryat Ata.

The dusty conditions, and the rains projected to begin Monday evening, are the result of a wintry depression coming in from the Aegean Sea through southern Turkey and the Gulf of Iskenderun, Dr. Amos Porat, head of the climate department at the Israel Meteorological Service, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. Strong, southerly to southwesterly winds that brought in the sandstorms were expected to turn to a southwesterly to westerly direction, spurring rains in northern and central areas, Porat explained. Temperatures would become increasingly cool due to cold air flowing in from Eastern Europe and Turkey through the Mediterranean, he said.

For Tuesday, the IMS predicted frequent showers in the North and Center, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms, as well as snowfall on Mount Hermon, and strong winds and unseasonable cold throughout the country. Hazy conditions would persist, predominantly in the South, but also possibly in the Center, the forecast said.

By Wednesday, the IMS predicted scattered showers in the North and Center, gradually weakening throughout the day. Light snow was expected to continue falling on Mount Hermon, with unseasonable cold temperatures continuing around Israel.

Both Thursday and Friday would likely feature partly cloudy skies with a rise in temperatures to seasonal norms, the forecast added.

Source: Air pollution levels high as sandstorm envelopes Israel – Business & Innovation – Jerusalem Post

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Pacific air pollution traced to Africa and Asia

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd

Burning down forests in Africa and South-East Asia causes ozone pollution in the air as far as the western Pacific Ocean, researchers say, calling for revision of global climate models to reflect their findings.

In a paper published in Nature Communications last week (13 January), the scientists say their data contradicts earlier theories on the origins of ozone-rich air parcels above the tropical western Pacific, which were thought to descend naturally from a higher atmospheric layer.

Ozone, a greenhouse gas, occurs naturally in the atmosphere. But it is also created from the reactions of pollutants produced by combustion engines and burning trees to clear land for agriculture.

Flying in two research planes at two different heights, the scientists analysed the air composition over Guam, the largest island of Micronesia, in the western Pacific.

Using data and models on wind, rainfall and forest fires, the researchers found that the Guam skies contained a cocktail of chemicals, alongside ozone, similar to the signature chemicals from fire smoke in Africa and South-East Asia.

Map showing Guam, Indonesia and Africa

“It’s surprising because we were very far away from any sort of pollutant source and we are still seeing levels of pollutants that we would see in very populated environments,” says lead author Daniel Anderson, an atmospheric chemist at the University of Maryland in the United States. “It is important to figure out where this pollution is coming from because it affects global temperatures and precipitation patterns.”

Anderson says thunderstorms and winds from South-East Asia could carry this polluted air high up to the atmosphere and far from its source in countries where deforestation is common, such as Indonesia — 3,750 kilometres away from Guam — and even those in tropical Africa.

Ozone-polluted air paths are red and regions with active fires are green. Credit: Daniel Anderson – See more at: http://www.scidev.net/global/climate-change/news/pacific-air-pollution-africa-asia.html#sthash.I7fX4QUm.dpuf

Robert Nasi, director of the forestry research programme of the global research group CGIAR, says he is unsurprised by the results, but is sceptical about the study attributing some of the ozone pollution over Guam to fires in West Africa.

“It would be important to look at this in more detail, because I have the strong feeling that the main culprits are the peat fires in Indonesia,” Nasi tells SciDev.Net. Looking at the composition of the aerosols from West African and Indonesian peat fires should give clues about this, he says.

He adds that, as well as efforts to reduce deforestation, bans on draining peat swamps and realistic fire management policies could keep the fires in check.

William Collins, an atmospheric chemist at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, says the paper provides a good new data set to test climate models against, but points out that the study does not quantify the actual effect of biomass burning on climate change.

Researchers “could take this study forward and calculate […] how important it could be for climate change”, Collins says.

Source: Pacific air pollution traced to Africa and Asia – SciDev.Net

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Killer pollution in City hits top ‘black’ alert level 

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Respro® UK Ltd
LONDONSKYLINE1210A

Pollution alert: Smog over the City FILE IMAGE Rex

Pollution in the City hit the top “black” alert as the latest figures showed tiny killer toxins in London’s air still claiming more than 3,000 lives a year.

A spike of particulate pollution reached a “very high” in Upper Thames Street yesterday, a 10/10 level which has previously been recorded just three times in the capital in the last two years.

People in the area should have reduced physical exercise, particularly outdoors and especially if experiencing symptoms such as a cough or sore throat, according to Government guidelines.

Scientists at King’s College London predicted this pollution would reach 9/10 in the busy street in the City today, which is “high”.

It was also forecast to hit 7/10 in Cromwell Road, in Kensington and Chelsea, also a “high”.

Anti-pollution campaigners seized on the figures to demand better public warnings from City Hall and Public Health England about filthy air.

“For goodness sake @PHE_London @MayorofLondon What does it take to get you to issue an #airpollution alert? Bodies?” tweeted Simon Birkett, director of Clean Air in London.

The City of London Corporation urged people to use its “City Air” app which gives alerts and routes to avoid pollution blackspots.

Meanwhile, latest PHE figures show the rate of fatalities attributable to PM2.5 particles rising in 30 out of 33 boroughs, having previously steadied in London and even declined.

Westminster now has the worst record for this pollution which scientists say is particularly dangerous as the particles are so small they can get deep into lungs and the bloodstream.

Frank Kelly, professor of environmental health at King’s College London, said the lack of any “substantial” decrease in deaths attributable to PM2.5 highlighted that “considerable more ambition” will be needed by the incoming mayor to address “this pressing public health issue”.

PM2.5 pollution is significantly blamed on diesel engines, coal-burning power stations, agriculture and shipping, with a large proportion in the capital blown in from outside, including from the Continent.

PHE previously put the death toll attributable to human-made PM2.5 pollution in London at the equivalent of 3,389 a year, based on 2010 figures, with Kensington & Chelsea the worst area.

The death rate associated then with PM2.5 was 7.2 for 1,000 people passing away, which declined to 6.6 in 2012 but nudged up to 6.7 in 2013, the most recent figures, equivalent to more than 3,000 deaths.

Eleven boroughs saw a rise of 0.2, including several leafy suburbs in south London.

They were Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Merton, Richmond, Sutton, Wansworth and Westminster which now has a rate of 7.9.

City Hall stressed air quality was improving, described the lastest PHE figures as “historic” but said they showed the need for more “bold measures” on top of those already introduced by the Mayor which include cleaning up the bus and taxi fleet.

“Our more recent measurements of particulate matter have shown the greatest improvements by busy roads where people are most exposed to pollution,” added a spokeswoman.

Nearly half of the health effects from air pollution are caused by toxins from outside London, including 75 per cent of cardiovascular hospital admissions associated with PM2.5, according to a report published by the Mayor.

Public Health England said it was “too early to read a trend because individual years are likely to fluctuate due to changes in weather conditions”.

Source: Killer pollution in City hits top ‘black’ alert level | London | News | London Evening Standard

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