Integrating Health on Air Quality Assessment—Review Report on Health Risks of Two Major European Outdoor Air Pollutants: PM and NO2
- 18 August 2014
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B
- Vol. 17 (6), 307-340
- https://doi.org/10.1080/10937404.2014.946164
Abstract
Quantifying the impact of air pollution on the public’s health has become an increasingly critical component in policy discussion. Recent data indicate that more than 70% of the world population lives in cities. Several studies reported that current levels of air pollutants in urban areas are associated with adverse health risks, namely, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. IARC recently classified outdoor air pollution and related particulate matter (PM) as carcinogenic to humans. Despite the air quality improvements observed over the last few years, there is still continued widespread exceedance within Europe, particularly regarding PM and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The European Air Quality Directive 2008/50/EC requires Member States to design appropriate air quality plans for zones where air quality does not comply with established limit values. However, in most cases, air quality is only quantified using a combination of monitored and modeled data and no health impact assessment is carried out. An integrated approach combining the effects of several emission abatement measures on air quality, impacts on human health, and associated implementation costs enables an effective cost–benefit analysis and an added value to the decision-making process. Hence, this review describes the basic steps and tools for integrating health into air quality assessment (health indicators, exposure-response functions). In addition, consideration is given to two major outdoor pollutants: PM and NO2. A summary of the health metrics used to assess the health impact of PM and NO2 and recent epidemiologic data are also described.Keywords
This publication has 100 references indexed in Scilit:
- Long-term air pollution exposure and cardio- respiratory mortality: a reviewEnvironmental Health, 2013
- Particulate Matter and Health Risk under a Changing Climate: Assessment for PortugalThe Scientific World Journal, 2012
- Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Cardiorespiratory Disease in the California Teachers Study CohortAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2011
- Fine Particulate Air Pollution is Associated with Higher Vulnerability to Atrial Fibrillation—the Apacr StudyJournal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 2011
- The effects of weather, air pollutants, and Asian dust on hospitalization for asthma in FukuokaEnvironmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 2010
- Infant exposure to fine particulate matter and traffic and risk of hospitalization for RSV bronchiolitis in a region with lower ambient air pollutionEnvironmental Research, 2009
- Does traffic exhaust contribute to the development of asthma and allergic sensitization in children: findings from recent cohort studiesEnvironmental Health, 2009
- Fine-Particulate Air Pollution and Life Expectancy in the United StatesNew England Journal of Medicine, 2009
- A framework for integrated environmental health impact assessment of systemic risksEnvironmental Health, 2008
- Seasonal and Regional Short-term Effects of Fine Particles on Hospital Admissions in 202 US Counties, 1999–2005American Journal of Epidemiology, 2008