Counties Where Traffic Air Pollution Hurts Children Most

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

A first-of-its-kind county-by-county heat map details the distribution of childhood asthma due to nitrogen dioxide across the U.S.

IN THE U.S., over 6 million children had ongoing asthma in 2016. Globally, asthma kills around 1,000 people every day – and its prevalence is rising.

This condition has a high economic cost. Each year in the U.S., more than $80 billion is lost because of asthma. This is mainly due to premature deaths, medical payments and missed work and school days. The burden is higher for families with asthmatic children, who, on average, spend $1,700 more on health care than families with healthy children.

One major environmental factor that might contribute to the development of asthma is air pollution from traffic. In our study, published on April 3, our team mapped where in the U.S. children are most at risk for developing asthma from this type of pollution.

Traffic and Asthma

Asthma is likely the most common chronic disease in childhood, according to the World Health Organization.

Asthma presents as episodes of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath due to the reversible, or partially reversible, obstruction of airflow. Six in 10 of children with asthma worldwide had a form of persistent asthma, meaning that either they were on long-term medication or their condition could not be controlled even with medication.

Traffic pollution contains a mixture of harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, benzene and sulfur. These pollutants are known to harm health in many ways, causing a number of cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological diseases.

One 2013 review suggested that long-term exposure to common traffic-related air pollutants is linked to the development of asthma in children and adults.

A much larger meta-analysis in 2017, which focused on children and included more recently published studies, found consistent connections between this type of pollution and childhood asthma development. The researchers concluded that there is now sufficient evidence showing a relationship between this type of pollution and the onset of childhood asthma.

Studies from the nonprofit research group Health Effects Institute and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have concluded along these lines.

Mapping the Problem

Despite this emerging evidence, the burden of childhood asthma due to traffic-related air pollution is poorly documented. Very few studies explore the geographic and spatial variations.

My research team wanted to quantify the connection between exposure to traffic pollution and the onset of childhood asthma across 48 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. We also wanted to make these data open to the public.

In our analysis, we looked at 70 million kids and conducted all calculations at the census block level, the smallest available geographical unit for census data. We collaborated with researchers from the University of Washington, who modeled the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, a strong sign of traffic-related air pollution, using satellite imagery combined with environmental ground monitoring data.

We then took data extracted from surveys by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, estimating childhood asthma incidence in the U.S. Alongside data from our air pollution models, we used these data to estimate the number of childhood asthma cases caused by exposure to traffic pollution.

We then created a first-of-its-kind, county-by-county interactive heat map and city-by-city table detailing the distribution of childhood asthma due to nitrogen dioxide across the U.S. in both 2000 and 2010. Each county is represented, and users can explore the data to see the findings for a particular county.

A Win for Public Health
Our analysis found that childhood asthma cases attributable to traffic pollution across the U.S. decreased, on average, by 33% between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, we estimated that 209,100 childhood asthma cases could be attributed to traffic pollution, while this number dropped to 141,900 cases in 2010. That’s a major win for public health.
What caused the decline in traffic-related asthma cases? There may be multiple causes, including more fuel-efficient vehicles, more stringent regulation on nitrogen oxide emissions and, potentially, reductions in total vehicle miles traveled due to the recession.
Despite this encouraging decrease in air pollution and its associated health burden, there were 141,900 childhood asthma cases due to traffic-related air pollution in the U.S. That’s 18% of all childhood asthma cases.
Moreover, we found that children living in urban areas had twice the percentage of asthma cases attributable to nitrogen dioxide exposures as compared to children living in rural areas.
Our estimates underline an urgent need to reduce children’s exposure to air pollution. We hope that our analyses and heat maps will better inform policymakers, transportation agencies, medical associations and anyone else interested in learning more about the burden of childhood asthma due to air pollution.

via Counties Where Traffic Air Pollution Hurts Children Most | Healthiest Communities | US News

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

High-emission Vehicles to be Restricted from Downtown Seoul

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

High-emission vehicles will be restricted from the center of Seoul beginning in July this year, as part of the municipal government’s new policy measures to reduce fine dust pollution in the capital, it was announced Monday.

Grade 5 emission vehicles, mostly diesel cars, will be barred from entering Seoul’s Green Transport Promotion Zone, a 16.7-square-kilometer downtown area designated within the Joseon Dynasty fortress walls, the government said.

After a five-month grace period, violators will be fined 250,000 won (US$220), beginning Dec. 1.

The stringent driving restrictions will be applied to the 2.45 million vehicles that are classified by the Ministry of Environment as grade 5 emission cars out of the 23 million vehicles registered in the nation.

Municipal officials said grade 5 emission vehicles will likely be banned from entering the green promotion zone from 6 a.m. to 7 or 9 p.m. in consideration of logistics movement and other factors. At present, about 20,000 to 30,000 grade 5 emission cars are estimated to pass through the zone a day.

All owners of grade 5 emission cars will be individually notified of the Seoul government’s new driving restrictions by mail.

The latest policy measures came after the average concentration of harmful ultra fine particles in the air of Seoul reached the highest level last month since record-keeping began in 2015.

The government of Seoul also said it will cooperate with private businesses to gradually replace about 100,000 delivery motorcycles with eco-friendly electric motorcycles by 2025. Diesel-powered delivery motorcycles are known to emit at least six times more air pollutants than small passenger cars.

This year, it aims to distribute 1,000 electric motorcycles to franchise and delivery companies.

In addition, the municipal government will replace about 450 diesel-powered village buses with electric buses from next year in cooperation with the central government.

The Seoul government will install a total of 2,500 air quality monitors throughout the city by 2022 and put large-scale construction sites, gas stations, printing factories and other heavy emitters of fine dust under special supervision.

Idling police buses and auto repair shops will be regulated more stringently starting this year, it said.

“Fine dust is a pain in people’s lives and a national disaster that threatens the lives of citizens,” Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said. “Citizens, as both the biggest victims of fine dust and the subjects of policies, should be prepared to accept lifestyle changes.”

via High-emission Vehicles to be Restricted from Downtown Seoul | Be Korea-savvy

Posted in Air Quality, Asia, South Korea | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Millions of child asthma cases linked to traffic pollution every year

Posted on April 11, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

Four million cases of childhood asthma globally could be attributable to nitrogen dioxide from traffic pollution every year.

Pollution from vehicles may damage airways, leading to inflammation and the development of asthma in children who are genetically predisposed to the condition. Although it isn’t certain which pollutant is responsible, previous research has suggested that exposure to NO2 is key – and traffic emissions can contribute up to 80 per cent of ambient NO2 in cities.

Ploy Achakulwisut at George Washington University in Washington DC looked at global data on NO2 concentration and asthma rates to estimate the number of new cases in children between the ages of 1 and 18 that could be related to traffic pollution.

Out of the 194 countries, they found that the UK had the 24th highest proportion of new childhood asthma cases that could be attributable to traffic pollution. This related to 23 per cent of cases in Manchester and 29 per cent in London.

South Korea topped the list, with nearly one-third of new diagnoses linked to NO2 exposure. The US was in 25th position and India was 58th.

The team found that 92 per cent of cases of childhood asthma attributable to exposure to traffic pollution occurred in areas with average NO2 concentrations below the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 21 parts per billion.

“Our findings suggest that the WHO guideline for annual average NO2 concentrations might need to be revisited, and that traffic emissions should be a target to mitigate exposure,” says team member Susan Anenberg at George Washington University.

Policy changes can help improve traffic-related air pollution, says Achakulwisut. “Recent examples include Shenzhen’s electrification of its entire bus fleet and London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone congestion charges,” she says.

via Millions of child asthma cases linked to traffic pollution every year | New Scientist

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

Kids living near major roads at higher risk of developmental delays

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

Young children who live close to a major roadway are twice as likely to score lower on tests of communications skills, compared to those who live farther away from a major roadway, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and the University of California, Merced. Moreover, children born to women exposed during pregnancy to higher-than-normal levels of traffic-related pollutants — ultra-fine airborne particles and ozone — had a small but significantly higher likelihood of developmental delays during infancy and early childhood. The study appears in Environmental Research.

“Our results suggest that it may be prudent to minimize exposure to air pollution during pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood — all key periods for brain development,” said Pauline Mendola, Ph.D., an investigator in the Division of Intramural Population Health Research at NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the study’s senior author.

Previous studies have linked exposure to common air pollutants in pregnancy to low birthweight, preterm birth and stillbirth. A few studies have found a higher risk of autism and of lower cognitive functioning in children living near freeways, but results of studies about how prenatal and early childhood exposure to air pollution might affect development have been inconsistent.

Given that a large proportion of the U.S. population lives close to major roadways, which are major sources of air pollution, the researchers sought to determine if living near heavily traveled roads was linked to lower scores on developmental screens — questionnaires or checklists that indicate whether a child is developing normally or needs to be referred to a specialist for further testing.

The researchers analyzed data from the Upstate KIDS Study. They matched the addresses of 5,825 study participants to a roadway data set, calculating the distance of each address to the nearest major roadway. For each participant, they matched home address, mother’s work address during pregnancy, and address of the child’s day care location to an Environmental Protection Agency data set for estimating air pollution levels. From 8 months to 36 months of age, the children were screened every 4 to 6 months with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, a validated screening measure evaluating five domains of child development: fine motor skills, large motor skills, communication, personal social functioning and problem-solving ability.

Compared to children living more than half a mile from a major roadway, children living from roughly 164 feet to .3 miles from a major roadway were twice as likely to have failed at least one screen of the communications domain.

The researchers also estimated exposures to ozone and fine inhalable particles (PM2.5), two pollutants produced by car traffic. Fine inhalable particles are 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair, can pass through the lungs’ defenses, and are absorbed directly into the bloodstream.

Prenatal exposure to elevated PM2.5 led to a 1.6 to 2.7 percent higher risk of failing any developmental domain, while higher ozone exposure led to a .7 to 1.7 percent higher risk of failing a developmental domain. In contrast, higher postnatal exposure to ozone was linked to a 3.3 percent higher risk of failing most domains of the developmental screen at 8 months, a 17.7 percent higher risk of overall screening failure at 24 months, and a 7.6 percent higher risk of overall screening failure at 30 months.

These results led the researchers to conclude that early childhood exposure to air pollutants may convey a higher risk for developmental delays, compared to similar exposures in the womb. The study is associational and so cannot prove cause and effect. The authors noted that larger studies are necessary to confirm these links.

“It is not clear why exposure to pollutants after birth is linked to a higher risk of developmental delay,” said Sandie Ha, Ph.D., of the Department of Public Health at the University of California, Merced, and lead author of the study. “However, unlike exposure during pregnancy, exposure during childhood is more direct and does not go through a pregnant woman’s defenses.”

Story Source:

Materials provided by NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

via Kids living near major roads at higher risk of developmental delays — ScienceDaily

Posted in Air Quality, Health Effects of Air Pollution, Medical Studies, World News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Damage estimates of particulate matter air pollution reported in study

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

A team of researchers including University of New Mexico economics professor Andrew Goodkind is addressing the deadly problem of particulate matter air pollution in the U.S. and how to best mitigate it.

Their article, titled “Fine-scale damage estimates of particulate matter air pollution reveal opportunities for location-specific mitigation of emissions,” is being published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). It was co-authored by Christopher Tessum, University of Washington, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Jay Coggins, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics; Jason Hill, University of Minnesota, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering; and Julian Marshall, University of Washington, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

In 2011 alone, the authors say fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution was responsible for an estimated 107,000 premature deaths. The researchers approximate those deaths cost society around $886 billion, and more than half of them were at least partially the result of pollution caused by energy consumption (i.e. transportation, electricity generation).

PM2.5 are atmospheric particles that generally have a diameter of only 2.5 micrometers or smaller and are so tiny, they can only be seen with an electron microscope. For scale, that’s about 3 percent of the diameter of a single human hair. The particles often carry microscopic solid or liquid drops leftover from when they were formed during complex chemical reactions and can sometimes contain dangerous elements. Their small, light nature allows them to stay in the air longer than heavier particles, increasing the possibility of being inhaled and settling into the lungs or bloodstream.

“The impact of particulate matter air pollution is enormous even in countries with relatively good air quality like the U.S.,” Goodkind said. “There is still substantial room for improvement to the public health from reducing emissions, even though we have dramatically improved our air quality over the last 40 years.”

Researchers say health burdens of PM2.5 and its precursors vary widely depending on where emissions are released. Goodkind and his co-authors find that 33% of damages occur within 8 km of emission sources, but 25 percent occur more than 150 miles away. Those statistics emphasize the importance of tracking both local and long-range impacts, which is another element of what the paper addresses.

“Sources in the same urban area, releasing the same quantity of emissions, can have orders of magnitude difference in their impacts on health,” Goodkind said. “Identifying those sources with the largest impacts can help improve our decision making about how to reduce pollution.”

The team developed a model for calculating location-specific damages due to primary PM2.5 and PM2.5 precursor emissions. Based on the extensive modeling efforts, the researchers are able to rapidly identify the impact of releasing emissions from any location in the U.S. They then applied the tool to the U.S. emissions inventory to better understand the contribution of each economic sector on reduced air quality. Such information will be critical in assisting policymakers who are deciding how and where to prioritize pollution mitigation efforts.

Moving forward, the researchers want to focus more directly on certain sectors of the economy where emission reductions have been limited.

“Coal-fired electricity generation has, rightly, received substantial attention, and emissions have dropped substantially, but many people do not realize that agriculture is the source of a significant share of emissions,” Goodkind concluded. “We are looking into how and where we grow crops and raise livestock, what inputs are used, and how we can improve the system to continue to produce the food we need but with fewer environmental and health impacts.”

via Damage estimates of particulate matter air pollution reported in study

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

Particulate pollution in the air we breathe kills hundreds of thousands a year, study finds

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

Air pollution is deadly: A new study links exposure to it to more than 107,000 premature deaths in the United States in 2011.

It isn’t just killing us; it cost the country $866 billion, more than double the value of all the economic activity in a country like Ireland, according to the study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Particulate matter, or particle pollution, is the mix of solid and liquid droplets floating in the air, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It can come in the form of dirt, dust, soot or smoke. Particulate pollution comes from coal- and natural gas-fired plants. Cars, agriculture, unpaved roads, construction sites and wildfires can also create it.

This study focused on the harm caused by the tiniest particulate matter, PM2.5. It’s so tiny –1/20th of a width of a human hair — that you cannot see it, and it can travel past your body’s usual defenses.

Instead of being breathed out, it can get stuck in your lungs or go into your bloodstream. The particles cause irritation and inflammation and can lead to respiratory problems. Long-term exposure can cause cancer, stroke and heart attack.

The most harmful emissions account for the largest share of the total damage, with thetop 10% of sources of PM2.5 pollution accounting for 54% of damage, the study found. The highest damage happens in high-population areas such as Los Angeles.

Using a model called the Intervention Model for Air Pollution, InMAP, researchers calculated location-specific estimates of the damage from emissions. About a third of the deaths reported in the study were among people who lived within 5 miles of the pollution source, but they weren’t the only ones affected. About a quarter of the deaths were among people who lived more than 150 miles from the pollution sources.

“Overall, the number of deaths we are seeing with this, that’s more than traffic accidents and homicides combined,”said study co-author Julian Marshall, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington. “Seeing this should be a strong motivator to make improvements.”

Of these deaths, 57% were associated with pollution caused by energy consumption, the study found. About 28% was related to transportation, 14% to electricity generation from coal-fired and gas plants and 15% to pollution caused by farm activities like the application and storage of manure and other fertilizers.

Because no one sector is to blame, the authors argue that multiple industries need sizable reductions in pollution.

Marshall said the good news is that policy solutions work. The air is cleaner than it has been in past decades. The Clean Air Act made a huge difference, but there’s always room for improvement. “If you look at the cost and benefit of addressing air pollution, the costs are far outweighed by the benefit of having cleaner air,” Marshall said.

Dr. Brian Christman, a spokesman for the American Lung Association, said the high number of deaths in the study should be a concern for everyone.

“If two planes were going down every day — that’s about the same number of deaths in this study — this would be on the front page of every newspaper,” said Christman, who was not involved in the research. “This should be seen as a call to action.”

Research has shown that air pollution is a serious health problem. A study published Wednesday showed that air pollution will shorten children’s life expectancy by 20 months, on average. Prolonged exposure also hurts our ability to think clearly, reducing scores on verbal and math tests, studies have shown. It may increase risk of dementia.

No amount of air pollution is safe, Christman said. Pollution in the United States, though, probably won’t be reduced any time soon.

In August, the Trump administration announced plans to let states set their own coal-fired plant emission standards. By the EPA’s own risk analysis, the additional pollution will result in up to 1,400 more premature deaths a year by 2030. By the same year, the Obama administration’s Clean Air Plan, which the new rule will replace, would have avoided 3,600 premature deaths, according to the analysis.

Christman noted that the authors of the new study mention the need to balance health issues with regulatory burdens, but he said that when politicians say this, it always feels like a “false equivalency.”

“This is America. We can always find new ways to generate energy or create technology that doesn’t hurt our people,” Christman said.

The country would benefit significantly from any reduction in pollution, Marshall said. “There are such significant health benefits when you reduce this kind of pollution. People live longer healthier lives; there would be fewer heart attacks and strokes and lung cancer. Hopefully we will continue to improve on this issue.”

via Particulate pollution in the air we breathe kills hundreds of thousands a year, study finds – CNN

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

Haze causes thousands to fall ill in North

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

More than 8,600 residents in northern Thailand have sought treatment for haze-related respiratory illnesses since January, according to the National Health Security Office (NHSO).

Since February, air concentrations of PM2.5 pollutants in the northern provinces have soared beyond the safe threshold set by the government and World Health Organisation (WHO).

Recently, PM2.5 levels in Chiang Mai’s Mae Taeng district reached an alarming level of 492.57 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³), 10 times the safe limit imposed in Thailand and 20 times the safe limit of the WHO.

In Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district, the PM2.5 level has remained above 100µg/m³ metre since March 13.

Yesterday, the PM2.5 average in nine northern provinces was between 47 and 123µg/m³ in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phrae, Phayao and Tak. The highest level was reported in tambon Jong Kham of Muang district, Mae Hong Son, according to the Pollution Control Department.

The department sets 50µg/m³ as Thailand’s safe level, while WHO’s limit is 25µg/m³.

Crop burning during the dry season has been blamed for the poor air quality, but the smog has also been exacerbated by urban and industrial expansions and the rising numbers of vehicles on the roads.

NHSO deputy secretary-general Dr Atthaporn Limpanyalert said the number of people seeking treatment for haze-related respiratory conditions in Chiang Mai and other northern provinces has significantly increased over the last three months.

“The most vulnerable groups are patients with heart, lung and respiratory diseases and allergies. The haze can aggravate these conditions,” he said.

Dr Atthaporn suggested residents in areas with high air pollution wear the N95 face masks designed to keep out fine particles while outdoors and stay indoors as much as possible.

“PM2.5 is harmful because it’s a very fine dust particle, small enough to pass through to the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Protracted exposure can cause respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, heart disease and stroke,” he said.

Dr Atthaporn and a group of NHSO officials on Friday visited communities in Chiang Mai’s Doi Saket district to observe the problem, distribute N95 masks to residents and educate them on how to wear the masks properly.

Chitipon Sarnpang, mayor of Choeng municipality, said communities in the Choeng Doi area now need around 5,000 masks for their residents and would welcome donations as the smog situation is causing a shortage of N95 masks in the area.

“We have set up a health volunteer group to conduct checks on residents to guard them against potential health hazards associated with the haze,” he said.

“Additional water spraying equipment has also been installed in many spots, but we still need more masks.”

via Haze causes thousands to fall ill in North | Bangkok Post: news

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

Ulez Map, Car check, Charges And Start Date: What You Need To Know

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

A new vehicle emissions charge is to launch in central London, which could see some motorists pay a lot more to drive in the capital.

The ultra low emission zone (Ulez) will be introduced this week in an effort to combat rising pollution on London’s roads.

It will be introduced in two phases. The first, from April 2019 to October 2021, will cover a central area in line with the existing congestion charge.

From 2021, the Ulez will be expanded further afield. See the Ulez maps below.

Where will the charge be active in 2019?

Screen Shot 2019-04-08 at 09.36.13.png

Where will the charge be active in 2021?

5ca9015b240000a2074f64d9

Ulez map 2021: The charge will be expanded in three years. TFL

What date will the Ulez start and when will it be charged?

Ulez begins its first phase on Monday 8 Aprile 2019 and is a daily charge that runs from midnight to midnight, seven days a week, every day of the year, within the same area as the current congestion charging zone.

What will the Ulez cost?

Transport for London (TfL), which administers the new charge, said the standard daily Ulez charge will be £12.50. A penalty charge for non-payment will be £160 (reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days).

The Ulez is in addition to any congestion charge that applies for journeys within central London.

Which cars are exempt from the Ulez?

Vehicles which meet certain European emissions standards will be exempt from paying the Ulez fee. From its launch, the minimum standards for petrol vehicles will be Euro 4 while the minimum standard for diesel vehicles will be Euro 6.

You can normally find out which Euro standard your car is by Googling the make and model or by contacting the manufacturer.

Petrol: Euro 4
Diesel: Euro 6

The age of a vehicle is not always a sign that it meets these emission standards. TfL said: “The Ulez will be enforced based on the declared emissions of the vehicle rather than the age.”

The authority said petrol cars registered after 2005 are generally at Euro 4 or above, whilst diesel cars registered after September 2015 are generally at Euro 6.

TfL has published guidance for owners of bigger vehicles, trucks and minibuses here. There is also specific advice for motorcyclists and moped users here.

Why is the Ulez being introduced?

The Ulez is being launched in response to air pollution caused by vehicles with lower emission standards.

A King’s College study showed that in 2010 there was the equivalent of up to 5,900 premature deaths across London associated with long term exposure to road pollutants.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, himself an asthmatic, said the scheme will improve the capital’s air quality, which he says is responsible for thousands of premature deaths and other serious conditions.

But he has faced opposition. Conservatives on the London Assembly claim Khan’s decision to introduce the scheme earlier than planned could catch out some motorists – particularly those from the poorest households – who have not already upgraded their vehicle to a newer model.

via Ulez Map, Car check, Charges And Start Date: What You Need To Know | HuffPost UK

Posted in Air Quality, Europe, London, UK | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment