Pollen, pollution and storms spell misery for allergy sufferers

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Met Office warns of ‘very high’ pollen levels across the UK as pollution and stormy weather peaks, spelling disaster for people with hay fever

High levels of pollen, increased pollution and the threat of stormy weather is set to create a miserable cocktail for allergy sufferers, experts have said.

Asthmatics, those with hay fever and people with chronic health conditions have been warned to take extra care when leaving the house this week.

Pollen counts will rise again from Monday before hitting ‘very high’ across the south of England on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is also forecasting moderate pollution levels towards the middle of the week.

Stormy weather breaks up pollen particles in the air, threatening misery for millions of allergy sufferers.

Despite the unusually cool weather grass pollen levels – responsible for sneezing, itchy eyes and sore throats – began peaking last week.

The Met Office said very high pollen levels will coincide with rising temperatures this week with highs of 77F (25C) due by Thursday.

Forecaster Calum MacColl said: “Pollen levels will rise to very high from Tuesday as we get a good deal of sunshine across the country.

“Grass and week pollen is very high anyway and levels will rise across the south and further north to the Midlands and even Yorkshire.

“Tropical maritime air from the southwest will see temperatures rise by through the week to around 25C with pollen levels staying high.”

He said parts of the north are braced for heavy rain thanks to a low pressure system pulling the remnants of Tropical Depression Bill into the UK.

The fierce storm hit the United States last week triggering devastating floods across Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas.

Hot weather and rain supercharged the storm as it swept across land when usually it would lose strength.

Mr MacColl added: “The remnants of Bill could bring some storm weather with strong winds and the heaviest rain in the northwest.”

Maureen Jenkins, clinical director of of Allergy UK said stormy weather can make hay fever symptoms worse.

She said: “It is important to point out that storms break up pollen particles and makes them more potent and this affects people more.

“Pollen with high pollution levels also increases sensitivity as pollen sticks to pollution particles again, again increasing the effect it has.

“The implications are that people with asthma or hay fever should take their medication and be careful when levels are high.

“Even people who are not allergic to pollen can be really affected.”

Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and policy at Asthma UK, said: “People with asthma need to be aware that very high levels of pollen forecast may make their symptoms worse and increase their risk of a potentially fatal asthma attack.

“Up to 80 per cent of people with asthma also have hay fever and people living in urban areas need to take special care as they are at risk of what is being referred to as ‘Grey Fever’ where pollen particles combine with pollution especially during periods of dry warm weather.

“If you know that pollen or pollution triggers your asthma symptoms you should check pollen and air pollution forecasts for your local area.

“If you have asthma it is vital you take your preventer inhaler every day as prescribed by your GP or asthma nurse as this helps build resilience to your asthma triggers.”

Leon Brown, forecaster for The Weather Channel UK, said after a cool start to the week temperatures will rise later in the week.

He said: “Monday looks like quite a cool and wet day over southern England and Wales, it will be brighter with sunshine and showers over the north, but western Scotland should stay dry and mostly sunny.

“The weather is mainly dry for the middle of next week over the south and some pleasant sunshine, but showers over the far north, temperatures will gradually become warmer again.

“There is some uncertainly but rain will spread to the west during Thursday and showers to the south and east by Friday.”

The Met Office has forecast temperature of 25C (77F) around the south this week with highs of 19C (66F) further north.

Warm air from the south will see temperatures even higher in some spots although humidity and pollution will rise.

A Defra spokesman said: “Areas of Moderate air pollution are likely to develop across parts of southern and eastern England on Thursday and Friday.”

via Pollen, pollution and storms spell misery for allergy sufferers – Telegraph.

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Is city biking hazardous to your health?

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

People used to say that exercising in New York City was like smoking a pack of cigarettes. Luckily, conditions have vastly improved, according to a recent NYC Health Department report, but some areas of the city continue to have high levels of pollution. Meanwhile, many more people are biking to and from work as the network of bike paths is expanded and the Citibike program continues to grow. How much pollution are bikers exposed to, and what effects might it be having on their health?

A collaboration between WNYC and Columbia University is attempting to find some answers. Steven Chillrud, research professor at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and Darby Jack, assistant professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, received a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to find out how much particulate matter bikers in New York City are breathing in.

Particulate matter is a complex mixture of many materials with known impacts on respiratory and cardiovascular disease. It’s produced mainly by traffic, heating systems and industry. When studying particulate matter, scientists typically just look at its concentration in the air; but when people exercise, they are actually exposed to much higher levels of pollution. Jack figured that when he’s at rest, he breathes in three liters of air per minute; while biking, he inhales 10 times as much. As he breathes faster and deeper, he is also taking in more particulate matter. At that rate, the amount of pollution he is exposed to begins to approach the pollution levels of Beijing and New Delhi.

When we ingest pollutants, our body clears them out at different rates depending on the type of pollution, but some of it passes into the blood stream and can circulate for up to 24 hours, explained Jack. The research is focused on how the cardiovascular system is affected both during a ride and after exposure to pollutants.

Volunteer bikers participating in the study will be outfitted with new high tech monitoring equipment that is small enough to wear comfortably and can record real-time information—an air pollution monitor, a respiration device, a blood pressure cuff, a GPS device and a special shirt that can measure heart rate variability. The equipment will have time stamping and geo-stamping capabilities. Volunteers will wear the equipment for 24 hours, including while sleeping, so that the scientists can measure their overall exposure and compare it to their commuting exposure. They will be asked to do this five times over a two-week period.

While New York City air has gotten much cleaner over the decades because buildings no longer burn trash or coal, factories have closed and cars have become much more efficient, the American Lung Association rates New York City as one of the worst in the country for fine particle pollution even now. A number of neighborhoods still have bad air quality, especially where traffic and buildings are dense, such as midtown and lower Manhattan, areas of northern Manhattan, western and southern Bronx, northern parts of Brooklyn and southern Queens.

The scientists plan to eventually use the data they gather to create a map and smart phone app that shows which roads have the most toxic air and which ones have the least. Bikers will be able to use the information to decide how, when and where to commute. The information will have implications not only for bikers, but for runners, walkers and anyone who exercises in the city. As they gain a clearer picture of the spatial variation in air pollution, the scientists believe that the combination of scientific data, political pressure and market demand will eventually drive public policy and help better design bicycle paths and infrastructure in the future.

So far, 200 people have signed up to volunteer. The five-year study can initially only handle 20 people, but over the years, it will need several hundred bikers. The researchers hope to get volunteers from different areas of the city with a variety of commuting routes.

“The question is, will societal expenditures on additional cleanups generate benefits that justify their costs? … Ultimately that’s what we want to quantify,” said Jack.

via Is city biking hazardous to your health?.

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Chile’s air is so polluted that Copa America fans are being told not to barbecue

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

It’s a Chilean tradition.

The mad rush home from work early — triggering traffic jams — to light up the barbecue, crack open a beer, and watch the national soccer team bid for glory.

Except that at this year’s Copa America, South America’s top soccer tournament, locals are being urged to think twice, for the health of fans and players.

The capital Santiago and three other host cities in Chile have been wracked by air pollution problems since the World Cup-style competition kicked off on June 11.

That’s due to a number of factors, including diesel vehicles, smokestack industry and, above all, widespread — and partially prohibited — firewood burning. Santiago’s geography, at the bottom of a valley where air gets trapped, hasn’t helped either.

But the fact that most Chileans are soccer-crazed, especially as a golden generation of local players goes for broke on home soil, has only made the problem worse.

In fact, on Tuesday, the day after Chile’s 3-3 humdinger draw with Mexico in Santiago’s National Stadium, the Chilean Environment Ministry declared a “pre-emergency” in the capital as a result of the high levels of air contamination.

That kept 300,000 vehicles off the road and forced the closure of 800 factories.

Fortunately, there was no game scheduled in Santiago for Tuesday. One expert, professor Luis Diaz at the Universidad de Santiago de Chile, told GlobalPost he would have refused to play during the pre-emergency because pollution levels were just too harmful.

Yet the authorities insist that the games will go ahead no matter how bad it gets.

By Wednesday, things had calmed down, a little, with air quality once again being officially described as “regular.”

“That’s better,” Diaz said, “with particle levels within the limits, but it’s still not exactly healthy.”

Now, with Chile due to face off against its neighbor and bitter rival Bolivia in the same stadium at 8:30 p.m. Friday — smack in the middle of prime-time — locals are being urged again to cut back on the barbecues.

“These are international games and we are trying to make people aware that Chile needs to leave a good image,” Diaz said. “There needs to be more enforcement but we also need people to understand that it is for their own benefit and that of their children too.”

via Chile’s air is so polluted that Copa America fans are being told not to barbecue | GlobalPost.

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Belgium and Bulgaria in the EU dock over poor air quality

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

EU regulators are referring Belgium and Bulgaria to the bloc’s top court over the quality of their air, which poses a major risk to health, the European Commission said on Thursday.

It has also issued a final warning to Sweden that it needs to take action.

Commission data shows about 400,000 premature deaths per year linked to air pollution in the European Union, but member states have systematically missed targets to reduce levels of harmful emissions and dust particles associated with respiratory disease and some forms of cancer.

In Thursday’s statement, the Commission said data showed Bulgaria had persistently failed to comply with legal limits on levels for PM10, or tiny particles, produced by traffic and industry, that can enter the lungs and bloodstream.

Belgium’s track record has improved, the Commission said, but not sufficiently, with excessive levels of PM10 and nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide.

Sweden is also exceeding EU legal limits on pollutants and has been sent a warning, which if ignored could also lead to court action.

The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg has the power to impose daily fines if member states are found to be in breach of EU law.

Another nation previously singled out for failing to clean up its air is Britain, which has been given until the end of this year to submit new plans to the European Commission on how it will tackle levels of nitrogen dioxide.

EU legal limits for various harmful pollutants are less stringent than levels set by the World Health Organization.

The new Commission, in office since late last year, initially proposed to withdraw proposals put forward by the previous executive on narrowing the gap between the different standards.
It encountered angry resistance from some member states and many in the European Parliament, forcing new air quality  law back on to the agenda.

via Belgium and Bulgaria in the EU dock over poor air quality | Reuters.

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Delhi loses 80 lives to air pollution every day, says study

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

A new study has revealed that that air pollution in Delhi is responsible for approximately 20,000 to 30,000 annual deaths in the city. This means the capital city loses 80 lives every day to pollution from PM2.5.

The study also mentions that the deaths are mostly from heart attacks and strokes, rather than from respiratory disorders. Leading researchers of the study include Joshua Apte from University of Texas, Julian Marshall from University of Minnesota, Michael Brauer from University of British Columbia and Dr Aaron Cohen from Health Effects Institute.

Previously, the Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had issued a public interest advertisement in The Times of India, saying “51,779 dead by Breathing”. This was also reported in some other media publications across the country under the headline “Air pollution in Delhi has claimed more victims than the terrorists’ guns in India”.

With the recent study concluding that Delhi loses 80 deaths per day to air pollution or three deaths per hour, the figure is now three times higher than CSE’s calculation for 1997. If no action is taken, these deaths could rise by 20 per cent to 30 per cent.

Outdoor air pollution is the fifth largest killer in India. Till now, various studies have highlighted the issue. Global Burden of Disease study in 2013 had estimated approximately 627,000 premature deaths in India for 2010 due to PM 2.5 with ischemic heart diseases claiming more lives than respiratory diseases. It also estimated that air pollution from PM2.5 in the world claims as many as 3.2 million deaths per annum.  In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) had named Delhi as the most polluted city in the world, with 13 out of 20 most polluted cities in the world hailing from India. PM2.5 was again cited as the biggest source of air pollution in Delhi.

Not a mission impossible

The recent study has mentioned that 45 per cent of Delhi’s premature deaths could be controlled if the city took preventive measures to control its problem of air pollution and meet its national ambient air quality standards. The safe standard for PM2.5 in India is 60 microgram per cubic metre (24-hour standard), four times higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard (25 microgram/cubic metre). If Delhi could meet the standard laid out by the WHO, then 85 per cent of premature deaths could be avoided. The study has also used a global model to estimate the number of deaths that can be avoided in future by controlling this air pollution. Across India, four lakh premature deaths per year could be avoided if we managed to meet the WHO standards. Almost 1.4 million premature deaths can be prevented in India.

Failed measures

In December 2015, CSE had classified the air in Delhi as “severely polluted” for over 65 per cent days. This would mean extreme health disorders for a healthy human being also. The release of national air quality index in India has not been very useful since the local air quality monitoring stations fail to generate data and there is little being done to monitor the situation. Due to insufficient air quality data, air quality index cannot be calculated in a number of cities for most of the days.

As per the Air Quality Index bulletin issued by the government, the air quality as of June 17, 2015 is “poor” in Delhi and Faridabad and “very poor” in Lucknow. However, there is no news or health advisory issued by the government on this.  Moreover, in cities without an air quality index, there is even lesser awareness on the issue.

via Delhi loses 80 lives to air pollution every day, says study | Down To Earth.

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PN blasts ‘failure’ of traffic roadmap as air pollution increases

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Marthese Portelli warns that CO2 emissions in Malta increased by 2.5% last year, compared with an average 5% decline across the EU

The Nationalist Party has hit out at the government for “failing” to stick to its roadmap to reduce traffic on the roads.

“Traffic has now become the public’s biggest headache,” shadow transport minister Marthese Portelli said in a statement. “The government should implement its famous roadmap to reduce traffic, or at least to stop it increasing.”

Recent Eurostat statistics show that carbon dioxide emissions increased by 2.5% in Malta last year when compared with 2013, behind only Bulgaria (+7.1%) and Cyprus (+3.5%). On average, carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 5% across the EU.

Portelli linked this emission increase to the increase in traffic on the roads.

“This is a consequence of the increase in traffic,” Portelli said.

via PN blasts ‘failure’ of traffic roadmap as air pollution increases – MaltaToday.com.mt.

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Air pollution kills 20,000 people a year in Mexico, report says

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Air pollution kills more than 20,000 people each year in Mexico and can trigger asthma attacks, especially in urban áreas like Mexico City, one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, or INEGI, said in a report.

The report, titled “National Report on Air Quality in Mexico, 2013,” estimated that air pollution caused around 20,500 deaths in Mexico in 2010, with obstructive pulmonary chronic diseases, or OPCDs, ranking as the No. 8 cause of death.

In addition, between 10 percent and 20 percent of deaths from respiratory conditions and cancer are directly associated with air pollution, Justino Regalado, deputy medical director at the National Institute for Respiratory Diseases, told Efe.

“These are people who have never been exposed directly to known carcinogenic compounds, like tobacco smoke. Therefore, the only explanation for their illnesses is their continued residence in large cities,” Regalado said.

Mexicans living in large cities, such as the capital, which, along with its suburbs is home to more than 20 million people, are exposed daily to multiple toxic particles, like ozone, sulfur dioxide, ammonium dioxide and other nitrogen oxides, suspended in the air.

These compounds are derived from fossil fuels burned mostly by motor vehicles and “including some metals and sulfur” from industrial emissions, as well as ground particles, such as aluminum and silicates, National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM, Center for Atmospheric Sciences researcher Gerardo Ruiz told Efe.

In addition to aggravating serious respiratory conditions like OPCDs and causing the development of related tumors, direct exposure to the airborne compounds causes inflammation of tissues in airways and irritation of the eyes, and some particles have “a high cardiovascular impact,” Regalado said.

Higher levels of such compounds in the atmosphere is directly associated with the incidence of asthma attacks, pharyngitis and rhinitis, Regalado said.

The figures are worrisome, Regalado said, adding that not all urban areas dealt with the problem with the same effort.

“A serious problem is that monitoring systems outside the metropolitan area in the Valley of Mexico yield results that cannot be trusted much,” Regalado said, noting nearby urban centers like Puebla, the capital of Toluca state, and Cuernavaca and Pachuca.

Some progress has been made in Mexico City, the urban area most affected by air pollution, thanks to measures taken by officials, such as regulating the use of automobiles, but the “results have stagnated” in recent years, Regalado said.

via Air pollution kills 20,000 people a year in Mexico, report says | Fox News Latino.

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Air pollution may damage brain

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Long-term exposure to air pollution may lead to loss of white matter in the brain, a research has found.

White matter in the brain is made of axon cells, which enable the nerves to communicate.

In a new study, older women who lived in places with higher air pollution had significantly reduced white matter in the brain.

“Investigating the impact of air pollution on the human brain is a new area of environmental neurosciences,” said lead author of the study Jiu-Chiuan Chen from Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California in the US.

“Our study provides the convincing evidence that several parts of the ageing brain, especially the white matter, are an important target of neurotoxic effects induced by long-term exposure to fine particles in the ambient air.” For the study, the researchers took brain scans of 1403 women who were 71 to 89 years old and used residential histories and air monitoring data to estimate their exposure to air pollution in the previous six to seven years.

The results suggest that ambient particulate air pollutants may have a deleterious effect on brain ageing.

The study was published in the journal Annals of Neurology.

via Air pollution may damage brain.

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