Air Pollution: How It Affects Health
We know that the air pollution It is harmful to the environment and our bodies, but we are still learning how far its effects go. It's known that; there is a risk of respiratory diseases, fatigue and headaches, anxiety, cardiovascular damage, damage to the reproductive organs, damage to the liver, nervous system, etc.
The urban air pollution It is the one suffered by city users, especially ground-level ozone, taking into account the exponential growth of cities, and, therefore, more population exposed to pollutants (See article on air pollution map and atmosphere in real time).
A common question … What is the difference between ambient air pollution and urban air pollution? Ambient air pollution is a broader definition that applies to air pollution in the outdoor environment. In contrast, urban air pollution is outdoor air pollution that affects city dwellers.
According to the WHO "Nine out of ten people around the world breathe polluted air"
The main effects of air pollution on human health they would be roughly the following graph, but in reality, there is much more.
Although we more or less have an idea of how air pollution affects us. There are also other more strange ways according to different reports published in international scientific journals. So let's dig a little deeper …
1.- Environmental pollution and intelligence
When we think of the "price" that pollution takes on our health, we often think of it in terms of its physical impact. But studies have shown that this goes beyond physical health; our cognitive abilities can also be affected when we talk about the atmospheric air quality particularly in cities.
A study conducted in China and published in PNAS. Found that breathing unsafe air for too long can create an effect equivalent to losing a year of intelligenceThe Guardian reported. According to collected research, those who are constantly exposed to polluted air can experience a large drop in numeracy and language scores.
The impact of high levels of toxic air "equates to having lost a year of education"
According to research team member Xi Chen from the Yale School of Public Health…. "We know that the effect is worse for the elderly, especially those over 64 years of age"
Researchers examined language and arithmetic tests as part of the China Family Panel Studies of 20,000 people across the country between the years 2010 to 2014. The results were studied in correlation with the amount of nitrogen oxide and levels of nitrogen oxide. sulfur dioxide pollution in the air at that time.
The longer the individuals were exposed to noxious air, the greater the loss of cognitive functioning. Language skills were more affected than arithmetic.
2.- Air pollution and mental disorders
A study by Hong King Polytechnic University revealed that those with Mental and behavioral disorders are more likely to die on days when air pollution reaches extreme heights. The research was published in Environmental International.
They examined a decade of death records and statistics, and found that the risk of death increases 16% on the first day of thick fog, and rises to 27% on the second day.
For the study, the researchers examined the relationship between the risk of death and foggy days. Foggy days are when the level of pollutants in the air is high enough to obscure the visibility of the sky.
"Although a foggy day generally has a 2.9% higher risk [of death] than a fog-free day, there is a very strong adverse effect on mortality associated with mental and behavioral disorders," says the team at research. "A combined influence of haze, extreme climate and air quality, and the urban environment can result in extremely high mortality."
In the study, they saw an even stronger association between air pollution and emergency room visits by children living in poorer neighborhoods (causing stress, inflammation, and impairing normal brain and immune system development).
Research team member Lin Yang from Hong Kong Polytechnic University told The Guardian. “Foggy days are very likely to trigger an acute depressive response in people. This has been shown in surveys in Indonesia, where there was a major haze disaster from the forest fires. '
"We have shown that air pollution could be causing substantial harm to our mental health, making the case for cleaning the air we breathe even more urgent", Isobel Braithwaite, University College London (UCL).
3.- Urban air pollution and mental illnesses in children - adolescents
Researchers in Sweden conducted a study that found a connection between air pollution and an increased risk of mental illness in children. The study was published in the BMJ Open journal.
The researchers examined the medical records of 500,000 Swedes under the age of 18 and found that more children and adolescents living in areas with higher air pollution were prescribed drugs such as antipsychotics and sedatives for various psychiatric disorders.
a lower concentration of air pollution can reduce psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents
According to Anna Oudinof from Umea University… "The results may mean that a lower concentration of air pollution can reduce psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents."
Interestingly, Sweden is not known for its high air pollution. This suggests that other countries and cities in the world have an even greater challenge. We remember that the indoor air in homes is also important and we can learn from the article on how to create comfortable and healthy homes.
4.- Air pollution and abortions
A study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility suggests that air pollution can increase the risk of miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy by more than 10%.
Researchers from the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Development examined the records of a long-term study conducted by the National Institutes of Health that studied 501 couples between 2005 and 2009.
«We found that both ozone and airborne particles were linked to an increased risk of losing a pregnancy«According to lead researcher Pauline Mendola to WebMD.
Of the 501 couples, women in 343 of the couples became pregnant; 98 of the 343 women (28%) had a miscarriage within 18 weeks of pregnancy.
Exposure to air pollution in ozone was found to increase the risk of miscarriage by 12%, and exposure to airborne particles increased the risk to 13%. It is not clear that air pollution was the direct cause of the abortions, but researchers believe there may be an association.
Dr. Jill Rabin, co-chief of outpatient care at Northwell Health's Women's Health Programs-PCAP Services in New Hyde Park, NY, suggests that toxins may be able to directly penetrate the placenta and cause damage. to the fetus.
5.- Air pollution and premature births
A study published in Environmental International, conducted by researchers from York University's Stockholm Environmental Institute. Saw that approximately 2.7 million preterm births worldwide (18%) were potentially related to harmful atmospheric fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5.
At polluted air, PM2.5 are fine particles that come mainly from the burning of agricultural residues, forest fires, power plants, diesel vehicles and airplanes. They are particularly harmful to the lungs.
According to researcher Chris Malley … "This study highlights that air pollution can not only harm people who breathe the air directly, but it can also seriously affect a baby in its mother's womb.".
The number of premature births in South and East Asia was exorbitant. About 1 million of the 2.7 million preterm births are believed to be related to high amounts of PM2.5 that were produced in India, and 500,000 in China.
6.- Urban air pollution and autism in children
A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health suggests a connection between air pollution and the risks of autism in children.
A child could be twice as likely to develop autism if born to a mother exposed to high levels of pollutant particles during her pregnancy, especially during the third quarter of the same.
According to Marc Weisskopf, lead author of the study… "Our data add important additional support to the hypothesis that maternal exposure to air pollution contributes to the risk of autism spectrum disorders."
The research team examined the participants' data based on their place of residence and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
children who lived in areas where there is a higher concentration of PM2.5 were more likely to be diagnosed with autism
Children who lived in areas where there is a higher concentration of PM2.5 in polluted air were more likely to be diagnosed with autism. The connection between autism and PM2.5 exposure was considered before, during (including each trimester), and after pregnancy.
7.- Pollution and the development of the brains of babies
In 2022, UNICEF published a report that found that 17 million babies under one year of age living in South Asia breathe toxic air, which can hinder their brain development.
The Ways Air Pollution Affects Babies' Brains Are Mostly Neurological Issues. Particles suspended in cities that are equal to or less than 2.5 microns can enter our bloodstream with relative ease and reach the brain with little effort, damaging the blood-brain barrier and causing damage.
Damage to the blood-brain barrier can cause neuroinflammation that can lead to neurodegenerative conditions. Although children are not in danger of developing Alzheimer's at such a young age, exposure to anything that causes neurodegeneration at a developmental stage can be considered harmful.
Furthermore, particles in air pollution such as magnetite - the most magnetic of all natural minerals - are so miniscule in size that they can enter the body through the intestine and the olfactory nerve. Magnetite's toxicity is due to its magnetic charge that creates oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is also capable of causing neurodegenerative conditions.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pollutants formed from fossil fuels, have been shown to cause damage to the white matter of the brain. White matter is responsible for neural communication within the brain. Without properly functioning white matter, communication between neurons becomes difficult.
These three factors of environmental pollution they can cause significant challenges to the development of a healthy and functional brain. And watch out for the effects of air conditioning at home.
8.- Air pollution in cities and changes in DNA
It has also been suggested that Exposure to air pollution can cause changes in our DNA. Researchers from the University of British Columbia asked for volunteers to sit in a walled aquarium where the pollution levels of the world's most polluted cities were simulated.
The researchers took a blood sample from the participants before entering the room and after leaving it. Although the participants' DNA was not completely changed after sitting in space, the researchers noted that there was a difference in their DNA methylation patterns when leaving the room.
The results were the same for all participants, which means that the connection between DNA alteration and heavy contamination is a great possibility.
9.- Air pollution and bone health
The air pollution can weaken our bones. After measuring PM2.5 levels in Hyderabad, South India, the researchers analyzed the health of 3,717 people living in 28 surrounding villages. They looked for changes in the mineral content of the bones, which is used to measure bone strength and diagnose osteoporosis.
According to co-author Cathryn Tonne from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, a specialist in effects on air pollution in health… »What we see in general is a fairly consistent pattern of lower bone mineral content with increasing levels of air pollution»
People who were exposed to annual average pollution levels of PM2.5 of 32.8 micrograms per cubic meter (three times higher than what is considered safe by the World Health Organizations). The researchers found that every additional 3 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 was associated with a relatively minimal, but still noticeable drop in bone mineral density in the spine and hip.
We remind you that the World Health Organization (WHO) has an excellent section on environmental public health that we can consult from HERE. And we have published an extensive article with guides on healthy homes, because indoor air quality in homes is also important.
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