L.A. story: Cleaner air, healthier kids

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

LA

A 20-year study shows that decreasing air pollution in Los Angeles has led to healthier lungs for millennials when compared to children in the ’90s. The gains in lung function paralleled improving air quality in the communities studied, and across the Los Angeles basin, as policies to fight pollution took hold.

A 20-year study finds that millennial children in Southern California breathe easier than ones who came of age in the ’90s, for a reason as clear as the air in Los Angeles today.

The University of Southern California Children’s Health Study measured lung development between the ages of 11 and 15 and found large gains for children studied from 2007 to 2011, compared to children of the same age in the same communities from 1994-98 and 1997-2001.

The gains in lung function paralleled improving air quality in the communities studied, and across the Los Angeles basin, as policies to fight pollution took hold.

The research appears in the March 5, 2015 issue of theNew England Journal of Medicine.

Many studies have measured the health effects of pollution by comparing locations with different air quality. The challenge lies in ruling out other factors that may account for health differences between communities.

By following more than 2,000 children in the same locations over two decades and adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, height, respiratory illness and other variations, the study provides stronger evidence that improved air quality by itself brings health benefits — benefits which last a lifetime for children breathing cleaner air during their critical growing years.

“We saw pretty substantial improvements in lung function development in our most recent cohort of children,” said lead author W. James Gauderman, professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, noting this was the first good news from the long-running study.

“It’s strange to be reporting positive numbers instead of negative numbers after 20 years.”

Widely-covered previous findings from the study showed an increase in stunted lung development for children in areas with heavy air pollution, as well as a higher risk of asthma for children living near busy roadways.

Key findings

Combined exposure to two harmful pollutants, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter of diameter under 2.5 microns (PM2.5), fell approximately 40 percent for the third cohort of 2007-2011 compared to the first cohort of 1994-98. The study followed children from Long Beach, Mira Loma, Riverside, San Dimas and Upland.

Children’s lungs grew faster as air quality improved. Lung growth from age 11 to 15 was more than 10 percent greater for children breathing the lower levels of NO2 from 2007 to 2011 compared to those breathing higher levels from 1994-1998.

The percentage of children in the study with abnormally low lung function at age 15 dropped from nearly 8 percent for the 1994-98 cohort, to 6.3 percent in 1997-2001, to just 3.6 percent for children followed between 2007 and 2011.

That compares to 2.5 percent by age 18 for children from the first two cohorts who lived in cities with cleaner air, such as Lompoc and Santa Maria. Cuts in federal funding forced the researchers to exclude those cities in the last cohort and focus only on areas with heavier air pollution.

“Reduced lung function in adulthood has been strongly associated with increased risks of respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and premature death,” said Gauderman. “Improved air quality over the past 20 years has helped reduce the gap in lung health for kids inside, versus outside, the L.A. basin.”

The growing years are critical for lung development. The researchers are monitoring lung function in a group of adults who participated in the study as adolescents. So far they have not found evidence of a rebound after the teenage years.

“Their lungs may have lost the opportunity to grow any more,” Gauderman suggested.

Broad benefits from better air

Lung development measured by the study improved across the board, regardless of education, ethnicity, tobacco exposure, pet ownership and other factors.

Across all five communities, lung development for children with asthma improved roughly twice as much as for other children. But even children without asthma showed significant improvements in their lung capacity, suggesting that all kids benefit from improved air quality.

“We expect that our results are relevant for areas outside southern California, since the pollutants we found most strongly linked to improved health — nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter — are elevated in any urban environment,” Gauderman said.

The incidence of asthma did not change significantly over the three cohorts. Previous research by the Children’s Health Study showed that the risk of asthma increases with proximity to busy roadways.

Lung function testing took place in school at least three times for each cohort, when the children were approximately 11, 13, and 15 years old. Students were asked to blow into a spirometer, an instrument that measures lung size and strength. The spirometer reads total lung volume as well as the amount of air that a person is able to blow out in one second.

Air quality monitoring stations in the five communities took continuous readings of key pollutants over the study period, which the researchers averaged to examine the exposures for each cohort.

Southern California cleans up

Local, state and federal regulations have achieved large reductions in pollutants in the Los Angeles basin.

In 2011, the concentration of NO2 was below the federal standard throughout the basin. PM2.5 was below the federal standard over most of the basin, and near the standard in a small area straddling Riverside and San Bernardino counties. However, the federal standard was lowered in 2012, leaving the five communities in the study at or slightly above the new standard.

Ozone was below the federal eight-hour standard for most of Los Angeles and the coastal basin and exceeded the standard fewer than 20 days a year in the valleys, although parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties continued to exceed the federal standard 40 to 80 or more days per year.

Visibility also has improved. Southern California locations surpassed their 2018 state goals by 2012.

“It’s an environmental success story. The air has gotten much cleaner than it was in the past. I grew up here in the ’70s. Even from Pasadena you couldn’t see the San Gabriel Mountains on a typical summer day,” Gauderman said.

Gains not guaranteed

Gauderman cautioned: “We can’t get complacent, because not surprisingly the number of vehicles on our roads is continually increasing. Also, the activities at the ports of L.A. and Long Beach, which are our biggest polluting sources, are projected to increase. That means more trucks on the road, more trains carrying cargo.”

“These gains really aren’t fixed,” added senior author Frank Gilliland, Hastings Professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School. “We have to maintain the same sort of level of effort to keep the levels of air pollution down. Just because we’ve succeeded now doesn’t mean that without continued effort we’re going to succeed in the future.”

Gilliland noted that the state’s historic drought is expected to raise particulate pollution.

The study’s third cohort of 2007-11 also came of age at a fortunate time for respiratory if not financial health. The economy shrank and emissions fell during the Great Recession.

But the study also shows that air pollution and growth can coexist over the long term. The economy and population in the basin have grown since the cohort of 1994-98.

“Our results suggest that better air quality in future will lead to even better lung health,” Gauderman said.

via L.A. story: Cleaner air, healthier kids — ScienceDaily.

Posted in Air Quality, Health Effects of Air Pollution, USA & Canada | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Respro® Masks FAQ: How to fit a Respro® mask?

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

For more frequently asked questions,  see Respro® Mask FAQ

Posted in Air Quality | Tagged | Leave a comment

12 million cars causing air pollution, say experts

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Experts at King Abdul Aziz University (KAU) have suggested that the relation between air and car pollution is evident and increases with the number of cars on the roads.

As the number of cars increases so do the emissions because of the kind of gas and the type of car, its size, age and the way it is driven.

The way a car is driven, either fast or slow, on asphalted roads or winding ones, affects its emissions. The experts estimate that consumption of benzene and diesel is put at 811,000 barrels every day by the 12 million cars on the Kingdom’s roads.

Ahmad Al-Ansari, head of the department of environmental sciences and meteorology at KAU, said the new rail and highway projects will lower energy consumption but people need to make lifestyle changes to use less energy and reduce the emission of harmful pollutants.

Naif Al-Makaisha, professor of environmental microbiology, said safe alternatives are found in using biomass for renewable energy. This includes using recycling technology to produce chemical compounds which can be used as renewable energy resources that are sustainable and environment friendly; fossil fuels can run out at any time. He said public transportation plays a major role in decreasing pollution, and stressed the importance of concentrating on producing safe and sustainable energy.

Mamdouh Ibrahim, air pollution expert, said the relationship between burning fuel and air pollution is connected to the increase in the number of vehicles. To reduce the emission of harmful gasses, citizens need to be educated about safe and ideal driving to help reduce fuel consumption and air pollution. Awareness campaigns should include defining speed limits, he added.

Asas Abu Raziza, associate professor, stressed the importance of educating people and introducing them to the meaning of “over consumption,” in addition to the problems of environmental pollution in schools or commercial complexes. He said that education should not be about consuming fuel, but rather consuming energy in general.
There are three stations to monitor air pollution and measure dust particles and gasses in general, in addition to other stations affiliated with the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME).

via 12 million cars causing air pollution, say experts | Arab News.

Posted in Air Quality | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Researchers uncover a mechanism linking inhaled diesel pollution and respiratory distress

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Researchers have, for the first time, shown how exhaust pollution from diesel engines is able to affect nerves within the lung. Air pollution is a significant threat to health, they say, and identifying potential mechanisms linking exposure to diesel exhaust and the exacerbation of respiratory diseases may lead to treatments for those affected.

Researchers in the UK have, for the first time, shown how exhaust pollution from diesel engines is able to affect nerves within the lung. Air pollution is a significant threat to health, they say, and identifying potential mechanisms linking exposure to diesel exhaust and the exacerbation of respiratory diseases may lead to treatments for those affected.

Mr. Ryan Robinson, a PhD student at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK, will tell the 13th European Respiratory Society Lung Science Conference today (Saturday) about his work studying diesel exhaust particles and airway sensory nerves. The news comes as the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign, launched by the European Respiratory Society and European Lung Foundation, takes places this year aiming to raise awareness of the importance of breathing clean air.

Diesel exhaust is a significant component of urban air pollution, containing a complicated mixture of gases and airborne particles. “Studies have shown that exposure to these diesel particles is associated with harmful health effects,” says Mr. Robinson. “These particles are very small — down to 20 nanometres in diameter — and are therefore not only invisible to the naked eye, but can penetrate deep into the lungs.”

The lungs contain numerous sensory nerves that can detect potentially harmful stimuli and thus allow the body to respond, for example by triggering a cough. “However, we know that these nerves can also be involved in exacerbating respiratory conditions, for example by causing the bronchi to constrict in diseases such as asthma,” says Mr. Robinson

The researchers, who included Mr. Robinson’s supervisors Professor Maria Belvisi, Professor Terry Tetley and Professor Alexandra Porter, found that the diesel particles from a forklift truck could activate airway sensory nerves in an in vivo anaesthestised guinea pig model. “It was interesting to see that the more chemically sensitive airway nerves were involved, rather than the mechanically sensitive ones,” says Mr. Robinson.

The researchers then used an in vitro isolated nerve preparation that allowed them to probe the mechanisms involved more rapidly. “The first thing we noted was that the particles, when cleaned, were harmless. It was clear that the chemicals isolated from an organic extraction of the diesel particles were key to the activation of the nerve, which backed up the data we saw in vivo,” he will tell the conference.

To understand how the diesel extract activated the airway nerves, the researchers used pharmacological and genetic knock out tools. “It is widely known that the environmental sensors known as transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels are key to airway sensory nerve activation, so we decided to block a variety of different channels to discover whether an extract of diesel could activate any of them,” he will say.

The researchers found that the responses to the diesel extract were driven by activation of the TRP ankryin-1 (TRPA1) channel. They also discovered that the application of an antioxidant abolished the responses to the extract. “Oxidative stress, an imbalance between disturbances in the normal oxidative state of cells and the system’s ability to repair the resulting damage, is linked to many diseases and is a known TRPA1 activator,” says Mr Robinson.

This research is, however, only a first step towards understanding how air pollution may be affecting airway sensory nerves and respiratory reflexes. Whether other types of fuel activate airway nerves remains to be seen, and it is even possible that they may have a far more potent effect in this area than diesel. It will also be crucial to determine whether increased activation of sensory nerves explains why some are more susceptible to the effects of air pollution than others, the researchers say.

“We hope that our work may lead to treatments or management strategies than can help those with respiratory diseases such as asthma that are particularly affected by air pollution,” says Mr. Robinson. “Our results indicate that our reliance on fossil fuels, and particularly diesel, could have a detrimental effect on our health, supporting the idea that we should be looking towards alternative fuel sources. We believe that our data highlight an important alternative mechanism by which diesel contributes to respiratory illness and will further influence governments in the quest to initiate change,” he will conclude.

via Researchers uncover a mechanism linking inhaled diesel pollution and respiratory distress — ScienceDaily.

Posted in Air Quality, Health Effects of Air Pollution | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

REVIEW: Over 100 Allergies

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Even a kiss from my hubby could kill me…

Stephanie Thakrar, 34

“Inhaling someone else’s perfume or fresh cut grass can set off an instant reaction. The list is endless, over 100 things can do it.

If I do go out I always wear a mask and gloves.”IMG_2050.JPG IMG_2051.JPG IMG_2052.JPG IMG_2053via Pick Me Up! Magazine

Posted in Air Quality | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Carotid artery stenosis: Air pollution connected with narrowing of the arteries

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

People living in areas with more air pollution face a greater risk of carotid artery stenosis, a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the brain, according to new research. Carotid artery stenosis, which results when fatty substances build up in the arteries in the neck, is associated with more than half of the strokes that occur in the United States each year.

People living in areas with more air pollution face a greater risk of carotid artery stenosis, a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the brain, according to research scheduled for presentation at the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego. Carotid artery stenosis, which results when fatty substances build up in the arteries in the neck, is associated with more than half of the strokes that occur in the United States each year.

Several recent studies have linked air pollution with cardiovascular problems, but most have focused on effects in the heart and surrounding arteries. This new study is the first to examine effects in the arteries in the head and neck, shedding light on how air pollution might increase the risk of strokes that deprive the brain of oxygen. Such strokes are among the leading causes of death in the United States.

“Our study adds to the growing body of evidence that air pollution is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” said Jonathan D. Newman, M.D., M.P.H., a cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center and the study’s lead author. “It shows that a person’s cardiovascular risk is not only associated with their genes, health behaviors and lifestyle choices, it also depends to some extent on the world we live in and the air we breathe.”

The study is based on an analysis of cardiovascular screening tests from more than 300,000 people living in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The screening tests were provided by the Life Line Vascular Screening program, a voluntary, self-pay program that assesses the health of participants’ hearts and arteries using cardiovascular ultrasounds and other tests. The researchers examined the relationship between carotid artery stenosis and the levels of air pollution in each person’s home ZIP code based on air quality measurements collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2003-2008.

The analysis revealed those living in ZIP codes in the top quartile for air pollution had a 24 percent greater risk of carotid artery stenosis compared to those living in the bottom quartile ZIP codes. The analysis excluded people with known carotid disease and adjusted for age, demographics, medical history and median household income.

The research focused on a type of pollution known as fine particulate matter, defined as particles of pollution smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Fine particulate matter is the most common form of air pollution and stems largely from combustion-related sources, such as car exhaust and the burning of coal or wood.

“The results draw attention to the importance of strategies to reduce air pollution,” Newman said. “If you’re in good health, the level of air pollution we see in most parts of the United States probably doesn’t pose a significant health risk to you. But for people who are very young, very old or have other medical problems, air pollution could be a significant source of cardiovascular disease risk.”

The findings also point to air pollution as one potential factor that could help explain why some people, such as those with diabetes, seem to be more susceptible to cardiovascular problems than others.

“People with other cardiovascular risk factors would be wise to limit the amount of time spent outdoors on days when air pollution levels are high,” Newman said.

Indoor and outdoor air pollution is linked with about eight million premature deaths from respiratory and other diseases each year worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Air pollution imposes the most severe disease burden in developing countries, where open fires are commonly used for heating and cooking.

Newman suggested future research directions could include broadening the analysis to include more of the Life Line screening program’s 3.5 million participants nationwide. Studying the biological mechanisms by which air pollution might increase carotid artery stenosis could also help elucidate the role of air pollution in strokes and other forms of cardiovascular disease.

This study will be simultaneously published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology at the time of presentation.

The study, “Particulate Air Pollution and Carotid Artery Stenosis,” will be presented on March 16 at the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego.

via Carotid artery stenosis: Air pollution connected with narrowing of the arteries — ScienceDaily.

Posted in Air Quality, Health Effects of Air Pollution | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“Scrubbers” to cut cruise ship air pollution

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Cruise lines that sail Alaska waters are installing new pollution-control equipment. It’s aimed at clearing the air — and meeting new regulations. But it’s also dodging some stronger, more expensive measures.

The stuff that comes out of cruise ship smokestacks can cloud the air, leaving a haze over port cities, and plumes along their routes.

But it’s more than unsightly. Sulfur dioxide, ash and other ingredients contribute to acid rain and smog. They can also cause respiratory problems — and even death.

That’s why the Environment Protection Agency set new emission standards for most vessels.

Smoke pours out of the smokestack of the Carnival Spirit as it fires up its engines. (Courtesy Ground Truth Trekking)

That includes almost 30 large cruise ships sailing Alaska waters, some of which are getting new pollution-control equipment.

“One of the ships, which is the Solstice, is being retrofitted right now,” says Rich Pruitt, vice president of environmental stewardship for Royal Caribbean International.

The line will send five ships to Alaska this summer.

He says about 20 of its vessels, close to half its worldwide fleet, are getting new air-emission control equipment, called scrubbers.

“By spraying water into the exhaust stream, the sulfur dioxide and particulates are basically captured in the water spray. And it effectively removes any sulfur dioxide, up to about 98-99 percent, and a significant portion of the particulates,” he says.

Pruitt says the rest of the corporation’s fleet will eventually get the technology, though it may try some other options.

The cruise industry could meet EPA standards, and upcoming international rules, by switching to low-sulfur fuel, which causes far less pollution. But Pruitt says that’s too expensive, and refineries may not make be able to keep up with the demand.

That’s why the industry is installing scrubbers.

“We’re looking at this as a way of ensuring that we’ll be able to be compliant regardless of where we operate,” he says.

Royal Caribbean is one of several worldwide lines installing scrubber technology.

Carnival Corporation, which owns Princess and Holland-America lines, announced its intentions in 2013.

“The only other major cruise line that brings ships to Alaska is Norwegian Cruise Lines and they also have a program to start to install scrubbers on their existing ships,” says John Binkley, president of the Alaska chapter of the Cruise Lines International Association.

The new federal rules, which mirror those in Canada, are for lines sailing within 200 miles of the coast. They took effect in January, but Binkley says many ships were not ready.

“Each company has negotiated with the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, on a schedule and when they’re going to bring certain ships into compliance,” he says.

Critics say the lines should have been ready sooner.

Chip Thoma campaigned for a tax-and-pollution-control initiative voters approved about 10 years ago.

“The cruise lines fought that tooth and nail in the State Department, and every chance they’d get in Washington, D.C., to try to scuttle that treaty,” he says.

He’s encouraged by plans for new scrubber technology. But he says the lines should also switch to low-sulfur diesel.

“I think the price of fuel, all fuel, is going to keep going down. And it’s eventually going to be in everybody’s best interests to just burn clean fuel,” he says.

Some critics say scrubbers only change air pollution into ocean pollution, since the filtering water is disposed of overboard. Pruitt says Royal Caribbean ships, which include the Celebrity line, will treat the water and dispose of the resulting sludge on land.

Similar technology is used on other large ocean-going ships and coal-fired power plants.

Alaska does not regulate the chemical composition of cruise-ship air emissions. But it does measure its density.

Ed White of the state’s cruise ship monitoring program says scrubbers should improve the situation.

“The assumption is that as the amount of sulfur in the fuel decreases, the opacity would as well. We don’t have any requirements for the equipment used or anything like that. So we’re not directly involved with the scrubbers. But once it goes overboard, we’ll be monitoring that,” he says.

Scrubber technology is expensive.

Some lines won’t discuss what they’re spending. But Carnival has said installation on 70 of its ships would cost about $400 million, or around $6 million each.

Royal Caribbean’s Pruitt says despite the cost, the new equipment won’t increase fares.

“By having the exhaust gas cleaning systems or scrubbers, it will allow us to burn the more affordable fuel. So, it’s not like we feel that we have to pass that on,” he says.

While EPA rules kicked in this year, worldwide standards won’t take effect until 2020. They’re less stringent, but are still a significant reduction.

via “Scrubbers” to cut cruise ship air pollution | KTOO.

Posted in Air Quality, USA & Canada | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Council Members Propose New Air Pollution Rules

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

New Yorkers might be able to breathe easier this summer if two new measures pass the Council.

Councilman Corey Johnson and Councilman Costa Constantinides today debuted bills that would obligate the Health Department to submit annual air quality surveys to the council with recommendations about how to reduce pollution, and to open the city’s “cooling centers” when breathing conditions make it unsafe to stay outside. The pols noted that New York is the 12th-most-polluted city in the country, and that elevated levels of particulate matter and noxious gases in the air are linked to high rates of asthma and strokes.

“At this day and age, this is unacceptable. We can take preventative measures to combat asthma prior to the development of more serious respiratory and cardiovascular diseases,” said Mr. Johnson, chairman of the Committee on Health, arguing that the problem only worsens in the warmer months. “Extreme summer weather only worsens air quality, as heat and sunlight essentially cook the air and all the chemical compounds lingering within it.”

Mr. Johnson pointed out that asthma rates are especially high in poorer neighborhoods and that children suffering from the respiratory condition on average miss between 10 to 30 days of school each year, making it the leading cause of absences citywide.

The Department of Health conducts air quality surveys at 150 sites every year, but is not currently required to disclose that information to the council.

Mr. Constantinides’ measure would have the city open the doors of its special air-conditioned spaces—which people can visit on the most feverish summer days—when air quality becomes dangerous. He recalled that on August 27, 2014, residents of Staten Island were warned to remain indoors due to dangerous air conditions.

“Because it was only 88 degrees, our cooling centers were not open,” Mr. Constantinides said. “There were no cooling centers available to people who needed them.”

The Queens councilman’s bill would also create a standardized system for indexing heat and air quality, launch a public awareness campaign around the dangers of inhaling polluted air and mandate the city keep a list of cooling center locations online at all times.

The proposals from Mr. Johnson and Mr. Constantinide come a day after Queens Councilman Donovan Richards and Manhattan Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal unveiled a bill that would deputize civilians to record and report idling cars, a major cause of air pollution.

via Council Members Propose New Air Pollution Rules | Observer.

Posted in Air Quality, USA & Canada | Tagged , , | Leave a comment