The World Health Organization estimates that 800,000 people worldwide die prematurely from lung cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses associated with outdoor air pollution each year. The effects of outdoor air pollution on health are particularly devastating in the urban areas of developing countries, according to a 2008 article in Forbes Magazine. The outdoor air pollutants most harmful to people's health include, but are not limited to, the following: Sulfur and nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter.
Lung Cancer
Long-term exposure to combustion-generated fine particulate air pollution is a significant environmental risk factor for lung cancer mortality, according to a 2002 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that examined the effects of air pollution on human health. The problematic particulate matter is created by vehicles, industry and power plants. The researchers state that when vehicle exhaust and smokestack emissions combine with oxygen in the air, they form tiny particles that are inhaled. Although smoking is the principle cause of lung cancer, exposing yourself to polluted outdoor air can, over time, boost your risk of lung cancer to the same level as breathing second-hand smoke. Non-smokers appear to be particularly susceptible to pollution-related lung cancer.
Cardiovascular Disease
Inhaling polluted outdoor air contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). The AHA states that the relative risk of pollution-related cardiovascular disease is small compared with other cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity, smoking and elevated blood pressure. But outdoor air pollution is a significant public health issue because of the length of time most people are exposed to it. Exposure to particulate matter--from auto emissions, construction sites, road dust and many other sources--increases your risk of heart- and stroke-related death. The populations most at risk include elderly people, those who already have a heart condition and diabetics. A 2007 study published in the journal Circulation concluded that your degree of coronary atherosclerosis is associated with your long-term residential exposure to traffic volume.
Respiratory Illness
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a division of the National Institutes of Health, states that long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution increases the risk of respiratory illnesses such as allergies, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The health effects of ozone, fine particulate matter and other airborne pollutants are particularly problematic for children and the elderly, who make up the most vulnerable populations. The NIEHS adds that exposure to fossil fuel emissions-related pollutants may retard children's lung development and reduce their breathing capacity. Children who live in urban areas and are exposed to high levels of outdoor air pollution are five times more likely to have reduced lung function than their peers in less polluted communities. Cleaning up our air will protect children and the elderly from respiratory illness and will reduce the costs, both financial and human, associated with respiratory disease.
References
- United Nations Development Programme: Health Impacts of Outdoor Air Pollution
- Forbes Magazine; The World's Dirtiest Cities; Feb. 26, 2008
- Journal of the American Medical Association; Lung Cancer, Cardiopulmonary Mortality, and Long-term Exposure to Fine Particulate Air Pollution; 2002
- American Heart Association: Air Pollution, Heart Disease and Stroke
- Circulation; Residential Exposure to Traffic Is Associated With Coronary Atherosclerosis; 2007
