The burden of lung disease

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

mapFigure 1 – Map of age-standardised mortality rates (per 100 000) for all respiratory conditions. Source: World Health Organization World and Europe Detailed Mortality Databases, November 2011 update.

Respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide (table 1). Lung infections (mostly pneumonia and tuberculosis), lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) together accounted for 9.5 million deaths worldwide during 2008, one-sixth of the global total. The World Health Organization estimates that the same four diseases accounted for one-tenth of the disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost worldwide in 2008 (table 2).

The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study recently compared the contribution of major diseases to deaths and disability worldwide for 1990 and 2010. Among the leading causes of death, lower respiratory infections were ranked 3rd in 1990 and 4th in 2010, whereas COPD was ranked 4th in 1990 and 3rd in 2010. Lung cancer rose from 8th- to 5th- commonest cause of death, while tuberculosis fell from 6th to 10th position in the ranking.

The GBD Study also presented rankings for years lived with disability, among which asthma ranked 13th worldwide in 1990 and 14th in 2010, while COPD ranked 6th in 1990 and 5th in 2010. When premature deaths and disability were combined as DALYs  lost, lower respiratory infections were ranked the leading cause worldwide in 1990, and the 2nd most important cause of DALYs lost in 2010. Also among the 25 most important causes were COPD (ranked 6th in 1990 and 9th in 2010), tuberculosis (ranked 8th in 1990 and 13th in 2010) and lung cancer (ranked 24th in 1990 and 22nd in 2010).

via The burden of lung disease – ERS.

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Irish businessman funds London schools air quality sensors project

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

HUNDREDS of air quality sensors will be rolled out across London this month thanks to a £1million donation from an Irish businessman. 

Mayo entrepreneur John Griffin is hoping to play his part in improving the quality of schools in the capital.

The Addison Lee founder, who was a 2013 Irish Post Business Award winner, has teamed up with non-profit organisation Change London to fund the first 500 schools-based air quality sensors in London as part of the AirSensa project.

The project is a response to a growing number of reports showing the damaging effects of poor air quality.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimates that thousands of Londoners die early as a result of air pollution, while up to 30,000 die nationally costing the British economy £16billion every year.

“As the founder of London’s largest minicab firm, I feel a responsibility to get this ball rolling,” Mr Griffin said.

“Change London’s approach appeals to me as it is about taking action. We can’t speculate about the quality of air, we need to know the facts; and we need to be able to look across London and together take steps to change it.”

He added: “I’m particularly interested in the schools element of the project – poor air quality is damaging children more than us – and I think that if I can help to enable the next generation to learn about air pollution and how to address the problems, that is a legacy I can be very proud of.”

The AirSensa project has been designed to monitor and visualise air quality, initially across London, so that real-time information can be shared and steps can be taken to improve air quality.

The sensors will be delivered this month, with the first 500 units to be installed and generating data within six months.

The network will eventually consist of up to 10,000 sensors across the whole of greater London, including schools, business premises and other key locations.

Change London CEO Jonathan Steel said: “Poor air quality affects all of us, but particularly children. You can’t see emissions from road vehicles and domestic and commercial heating systems, but long-term exposure is damaging the health of everyone who lives, works or goes to school in London.

“We believe that it’s vital that we learn more about air pollution, and about the simple steps we can all take that can add up to a healthier city.”

News of the Airsensa project came in the same week that London Mayor Boris Johnson received a double award at the C40 Siemens City Climate Leadership Awards in New York.

The awards recognised his work to make London’s black taxi’s zero emission capable by 2018 and the creation of a new carbon accounting standard.

“The Mayor is leading the most ambitious and comprehensive package of measures in the world to reduce carbon emissions and improve London’s air quality,” said Matthew Pencharz, the Mayor’s senior environment advisor. “At the heart of his plans is the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London from 2020.”

But Richmond Councillor Stephen Knight, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly environment spokesperson, claims the Government needs to do more.

“John Griffin’s generous funding of this scheme is of course very welcome but it is sad state of affairs when basic health checks for London’s school children are reliant on funding from owners of a minicab firm,” he said. “Ultimately ensuring clean air for London’s school children should not be a charitable affair.”

via Irish businessman funds London schools air quality sensors project.

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Air pollution caused fall in monsoon rains, says study

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

Emissions produced by human activity over the past 50 years have caused decline of the annual monsoon rainfall, on which billions of people – including in India – depend, a new study suggests.

Scientists found that emissions of tiny air particles from man-made sources, known as anthropogenic aerosols, were the cause. High levels of aerosols in the atmosphere cause heat from the Sun to be reflected back into space, lowering temperatures on the Earth’s surface and reducing rainfall. Levels of aerosol emissions have soared since the 1950s, with the most common sources being power stations and cars.In the second half of the 20th century, the levels of rain recorded during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer monsoon fell by as much as 10 percent, researchers said. Changes to global rainfall patterns can have serious consequences for human health and agriculture, they said.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh said their work provides clear evidence of human-induced rainfall change. Alterations to summer monsoon rainfall affect the lives of billions of people, mostly those living in India, South East Asia and parts of Africa.

The team calculated the average summer monsoon rainfall in the Northern Hemisphere between 1951 and 2005. They used computer-based climate models to quantify the impact of increasing aerosol emissions and greenhouse gases over the same period. They also took account of natural factors such as volcanic eruptions and climate variability to gauge the impact of human activity on the amount of monsoon rainfall.

Researchers say levels of man-made aerosols are expected to decline during the 21st century as countries begin adopting cleaner methods of power generation.

“This study shows for the first time that the drying of the monsoon over the past 50 years cannot be explained by natural climate variability and that human activity has played a significant role in altering the seasonal monsoon rainfall on which billions of people depend,” lead author Dr Debbie Polson, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, said.

The study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

via Air pollution caused fall in monsoon rains, says study – Firstpost.

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Air quality standards ‘increase pollution and health risks’

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

Deadly air pollution continues to be a problem in Australia because air quality standards are being misused, say experts.

The standards governing six key outdoor pollutants are being interpreted as an acceptable upper limit of pollution, says health statistician Associate Professor Adrian Barnett of the Queensland University of Technology.

But, he adds, this approach is not supported by scientific evidence.

“Study after study has shown there is simply no safe level of air pollution; health problems in the population rise in line with increases in average pollution levels,” says Barnett.

He says many reports to state governments imply it is safe to pollute up to the limits provided in the National Environment Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality (Air NEPM).

“I have lost count of the number of government-commissioned environmental reports that have used this fallacy. This practice should have ended years ago,” says Barnett, who lays out his argument in today’s issue of theAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

“The governments are getting bad advice.”

Air pollution causes an estimated 3.7 million deaths per year worldwide, and 3000 deaths per year in Australia.

Drawing on existing research on the health effects of air pollution, Barnett has quantified the number of extra deaths that could result from using the Air NEPM standards as an upper limit for five pollutants in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

“I’ve found that increasing pollution levels to just below the NEPM standards would cause the deaths of an extra 6000 people each year,” says Barnett, whose analysis included carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter (diameter less than 2.5 micrometres and less than 10 micrometres).

“The increase would hospitalise a further 20,700 people per year across those cities.”

New infrastructure projects

One major area of concern to Barnett is the application of the Air NEPM in the approval of new freeways and tunnels.

“Traffic pollution is roughly 80 per cent of pollution in Australia,” he says. “It’s the one that most people are exposed to.”

He says while car technology has led to a fall in some pollutants, others remain a problem.

Barnett points to an environmental report for the East West Link in Melbourne that implies predicted increases in particulate matter (PM10) would be below the Air NEPM standard and therefore not pose an “unacceptable risk to human health”.

He says even though such projects are likely to increase air pollution and health effects in the local area, the NEPM effectively silences discussion about this fact.

“Locals who are concerned about the potential health effects have found it difficult to get past the argument that the increases are below the standards and therefore everything is fine,” says Barnett.

“Instead of using a simplistic (and wrong) threshold argument, studies should be based on a thorough cost-benefit analysis, where the increase in health effects due to increased exposure is quantified.

“The increased health effects can then be balanced against the economic and societal benefit of the new road, tunnel or industry.”

Environmental epidemiologist Dr Christine Cowie of the University of Sydney agrees with Barnett’s concerns about the use of thresholds.

She points to an environmental impact statement for the proposed NorthConnex tunnel in Sydney, which found there would be a slight increase in pollution around exhaust stacks.

“Their argument was because it was below the standards and it was such a small increase that it was all fine,” says Cowie. “Whereas really we should ensure new projects don’t contribute to more air pollution being emitted.”

Standards not enough

A 2011 review of the Air NEPM found that in light of evidence relating to thresholds “compliance with the standards alone may not achieve the desired environmental outcome of ‘adequate protection’.”

Among other things, it recommended “exposure reduction targets” for pollutants.

But, according to environmental Lawyer Nicola Rivers from non-profit group Environmental Justice Australia, little has been done since then.

“The 2011 recommendations that all the states and territories agreed to have not been implemented yet,” she says, although there is currently public consultation underway on some of them.

Rivers points to other failings of the NEPM system, which requires states to monitor pollution.

“There are no consequences if you don’t monitor and report back and you are certainly not required to reduce pollution levels to below those standards.

“It’s completely ineffective,” she says “Our view is we need to move beyond the NEPM.”

A spokesperson for the federal environment minister, Greg Hunt says the Emissions Reduction Fund will reduce (greenhouse) emissions by 5 per cent on 2000 levels by 2020, and future research funded by National Environmental Science Programme will focus on clean air issues.

“The Government is also committed to implementing a National Clean Air Agreement with the states by 1 July 2016.”

But Rivers says what’s needed are national air pollution laws that require the states to reduce pollution.

“My question is, what is the government going to do to actually ensure air pollution levels reduce in Australia,” she says. “I don’t think anything that’s happening at the moment is actually going to result in that.”

via Air quality standards ‘increase pollution and health risks’ › News in Science ABC Science.

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UK failed to meet NO2 limits for 2013, latest figures show

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

UK’ Government’s submission to European Commission shows that only five out of 43 zones met limits set for last year

Only five of the UK’s 43 air quality zones were compliant with EU annual mean limits for nitrogen dioxide in 2013, according to the UK government’s submissionon air quality to the European Commission.

The five zones which met the annual mean limit for NO2 of 40 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3) in 2013 were: Blackpool Urban Area; Preston Urban Area; Highland; Scottish Borders; Northern Ireland.

And, 12 the 38 zones failing to comply have been given time extensions from the original 2010 deadline to meet the limit value.Thirty-eight zones in the UK meanwhile failed to meet annual mean limits for NO2 in 2013, although seven of these were in fact within the annual mean limits ‘plus margin of tolerance’ in 2013, according to the report.

Only five zones also met the annual limits value for NO2 in 2012, while a further four were within the applicable ‘margin of tolerance’.

London

Meanwhile, the Greater London Area was the only UK zone which failed to meet the one-hour limit value for nitrogen dioxide (200ugm3) on more than the permitted 18 occasions in 2013.

In addition, the UK also exceeded the long-term objective for ozone in 33 zones exceeded, and failed to meet EU limits in six zones for benzo[a]pyrene in 2013.

The findings come in Defra’s ‘Air pollution in the UK 2013 – Compliance Assessment Summary’ report, which was prepared by consultancy Ricardo-AEA and published online on Friday (September 26).

The UK is required to report air quality data on an annual basis under the ambient air quality Directive (2008/50/EC) and the Fourth Daughter Directive (2004/107/EC) under the Air Quality Framework Directive (1996/62/EC).

However, on a more positive note for Defra – which is facing legal action from the European Commission over failing to meet nitrogen dioxide limits– the report shows that all UK zones met the limits for sulphur dioxide and PM10 particulate matter.

All zones also met the target value for annual mean concentration of PM2.5 particulate matter, and the Stage 1 limit value, which comes into force in 2015.

Improve

Commenting on the report, a Defra spokesperson said: “We recognise that clean air is vital for people’s health and have seen air quality improve significantly in recent decades. Work is underway to ensure compliance with EU NO2 limits – we’ve invested £2 billion since 2011 to increase the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles, sustainable travel and green transport initiatives.

“Local Authorities are responsible for improving the air quality in their areas and it is for them to identify the best solution for their area. The government supports these efforts through our Air Quality Grant Scheme and Clean Vehicle Technology Fund.”

The European Commission’s decision to pursue legal action followed the UK Supreme Court’s ruling in May 2013 that the UK was in breach of air pollution limits in 16 of 43 zones in 2010 and the UK government is failing in its duty to tackle the problem (see airqaualitynews.com story).

New, tighter limits for a number of air pollutants are also being proposed by the Commission up to 2030 as part of a package of air quality measures unveiled in December 2013

via UK failed to meet NO2 limits for 2013, latest figures show | AirQualityNews.

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Environmentalists: Air pollution can be curbed if Israel implements more efficient transportation

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

Transitioning to a more efficient transportation structure could save Israelis billions of shekels and prevent enormous amounts of pollution annually, the founders of an air pollution monitoring app have concluded.

Seemingly minor changes like optimizing traffic flow, filling buses to near capacity and improving bus exhaust pipes could be instrumental in both attracting Israelis to use public transportation as well as curb pollution levels that plague the country’s cities, according to environmental engineers Ziv Lautman and Ran Korber, co-founders of the BreezoMeter air pollution monitoring app. Lautman and Korber recently analyzed a slew of data about air pollution emitted by vehicles, originally compiled by Yaniv Ronen, at the Knesset Center for Research and Information in December 2010.

BreezoMeter, which went live at the end of June, offers real-time access to 300 air pollution monitoring stations around the country and using an algorithm to calculate a user’s air-pollution level at any given location. BreezoMeter was founded by Lautman and Korber along with software engineer Emil Fisher, after they raised $200,000 in seed funding from the venture capital firms Jumpspeed and Entree Capital. Today, the app has accumulated more than 11,000 downloads – about 40 percent of which represent daily users.

The data compiled by the Knesset Center for Research and Information indicated that the emissions level of a full bus is equivalent to that of between 20 and 24 private cars. Assuming that there are about 1.2 passengers on average per private car, and a busy bus line contains about 65, a full bus eliminates the need for about 54 cars on the road – thereby saving more than twice the air pollution, Lautman said.

Looking at these numbers, Lautman and Korber concluded that “the real contribution of buses in reducing air pollution” actually lies today in the tendency of Israelis to travel in nearly empty private vehicles. Meanwhile, they saw that when the occupation of a bus is only 24 out of the 65 total passengers, the pollutant emissions data per passenger compares to that of a private vehicle.

“A bus has the potential to contribute significantly to the reduction of air pollutants, but if the lines are not optimally designed or if there are less busy hours, full private vehicles can also be a good alternative,” Lautman and Korber wrote in their analysis.

The two environmental engineers also examined the impact of Israel Railways operation on the country’s air pollution levels. While the effect of train operations on the country’s air pollution balance is minimal on a national scale, the diesel engines may have a significant impact on a local scale, particularly near major train stations, Lautman and Korber said.

Despite the fact that studies conducted around the world have shown that massive transitions to public transportation can sharply reduce hospitalized asthma events and ozone levels measured in urban space, private car travel in Israel has increased significantly alongside population growth, Lautman and Korber explained. While train travel has also grown considerably in recent years, bus travel has dropped – in terms of the number of buses, number of passengers and amount of seats available, they said.

Many initiatives can be taken to overhaul the country’s transportation structure, thereby saving billions of shekels and making the air more breathable, according to Lautman and Korber. Some such measures include synchronizing traffic lights for better vehicle flow, limiting speeds for reduced fuel burning, improving bus exhaust pipes, encouraging vehicle sharing and bettering both bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, they said.

“There are many more things that we can do in order to cut down air pollution and make our environment better,” Lautman told The Jerusalem Post.

While it is crucial to encourage people to make more use of public transportation modes, doing so means not only investing in the buses themselves, but also in increasing bus frequency, Lautman said.  Revamping the country’s transportation structure requires “a more holistic approach,” which takes into account the diverse array of factors that allow travelers a smooth drive, he added.

As far as the BreezoMeter app is concerned, Lautman said he and his colleagues are please to see people using the app’s features particularly in the morning and the afternoons. Following the request of many users, they will soon be upgrading the app to include the most offensive pollutants in a user’s location, rather than just a general pollution level.Just a week ago, BreezoMeter won the StartUp Open Israel competition in Tel Aviv, held as part of the city’s DLD Digital Conference.

“I think air pollution is the next big thing,” Lautman said.

via Environmentalists: Air pollution can be curbed if Israel implements more efficient transportation.

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‘Reverse graffiti’ highlights traffic pollution in cities

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

It may come as a surprise to Londoners to learn that not all walls are actually black.Air pollution is the problem that a “reverse graffiti” artist is seeking to highlight in a new London mural, created by washing away the dirt ingrained in the city’s walls.

London has the worst air pollution in the UK, causing around 3,000 people to die prematurely every year. Recently, the air on Oxford Street was found to have the highest recorded levels of pollutant NOx on the planet. The primary culprit is London traffic, which spews particulate matter over the city’s busiest streets, turning them black.

Today, street artist Moose unveiled a new 10-metre long mural in Waterloo, depicting London’s famous landmarks including Buckingham Palace, the Shard, Battersea Power Station and the London Eye.

The work was commissioned by Nissan to highlight the benefit of electric cars like its LEAF model in creating cleaner cities. And the image was drawn with a pressure washer powered by the LEAF’s car battery.“I’ve been using reverse graffiti for fifteen years now, in fact I named it,” said Moose.“My whole ethos is about highlighting the amount of pollution we endure daily using a very positive harmless method that never fails to ask questions about what we accept and what we shouldn’t accept in our environment.”

via ‘Reverse graffiti’ highlights traffic pollution in cities.

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World Pollutionwatch: A breath of not-so-fresh air

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

On Saturday afternoon, 6 September, the Irish Environmental Protection Agency’s twitter feed began issuing air pollution warnings for rural Ireland and across towns and cities. Sulphur dioxide concentrations briefly resembled those experienced downwind of large, old coal power stations or oil refineries before quickly returning to normal. Largest peaks were seen on the west coast in County Clare and Limerick, but it was also detected in Galway and in Dublin. By early evening the pollution peak reached Cork and Wexford in the south. Similar but smaller pollution peaks were measured that weekend across Northern Ireland and mainland UK reaching south east England on Sunday evening. Scientists at King’s College London also detected traces of mineral dust in the air as the sulphur dioxide passed through.

When air pollution is simultaneously measured over a wide area it normally comes from somewhere far away. Satellite images and weather models point to Iceland’s Bárðarbunga volcano, which is erupting in the Holuhraun lava field. Gases from the eruption on Friday 5 September reached Ireland and the UK on the following two days. Rotten egg smellsfrom sulphurous gases were also reported on the west coast of Norway. Closer to the source, people in Iceland were issued with health warningsand told to stay indoors if the volcanic gases approached.

The huge quantities of ash spewed into the skies by the Eyjafjallajökull and Grímsvötn volcanos caused massive disruption to air travel over Europe in 2010 and 2011 but Bárðarbunga is a different sort of eruption, it contains little ash but is proving remarkable for its emissions of sulphurous gases.

via World Pollutionwatch: A breath of not-so-fresh air | Environment | The Guardian.

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