The%20Most%20Important%20Global%20Public%20Health%20Issue:%20AIR%20POLLUTION

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The Most Important Global Public Health Issue
AIR POLLUTION

• By Maria Mueller
• Margaret Ndetti
• Dr. Butler
• Date November 19, 2007

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Overview

• Introduction
• Health Effects
• Case Studies
• Control Devices
• Prevention
• Conclusion

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Introduction

• Air pollution
• The presence of substances in the air at
  concentrations and frequencies that affect human
  health

Source www.britannica.com
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Major Pollutant Sources

• Combustion of fuels for electricity generation,
  transportation, industrial processes, heating and
  cooking
• Some reactions in the atmosphere among air
  pollutants that produce secondary air pollutants.

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Major Pollutant Sources

• Particles
• Sulphur Oxides
• Ozone
• Carbon Monoxide
• Nitrogen Oxides Most significant to human health
  is nitrogen dioxide
• Heavy metals arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead,
  manganese, mercury and nickel.

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Health Effects

• Decreased lung capacity
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Heart Problems
• Decreased Life Expectancy

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Air Pollution and its Impacts on Health Case
Studies

• Santiago, Chile
• -5 million people
• - 800,000 vehicles
• High concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5.
  Particulate concentration is 74 µg/cubic meter.
• Late fall and winter an inversion layer that
  prevails about 600-900m above the city,
  preventing natural dispersion.

Source www.julioetchart.com
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Case Study Santiago Chile

• Association between PM10, PM2.5 and adverse
  health effects such as premature mortality and
  urgent care ailments
• Health Effects quantified by using a threshold of
  30 µg/cubic meter (EPA standard) and 20 µg/cubic
  meter (European Union limit value)
• Daily counts of mortality from all causes
  between 1989 and 1991 and PM concentrations
• Results indicate that
• For a threshold of 30 µg/cubic meter
• -700 cases of premature mortality
• -5000 cases of hospitalization for
  cardiovascular disease
• -4600 extra cases of respiratory disease

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Case Study Santiago Chile

• For a threshold of 20 µg/cubic meter
• -860 cases of premature mortality
• -6000 cases of hospitalization for
  cardiovascular disease
• -5520 extra cases for respiratory disease
• They also found that
• A 10 µg/cubic meter change in the PM was
  associated with 0.75 change in daily all cause
  mortality and 1.27 respiratory mortality

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Case Study Air Pollution and Mortality in Six
U.S. Cities

• 8111 participants over 16 years white men and
  women in six cities
• Mortality increased as concentration of air
  pollutants increased.
• Fine, inhalable, and sulfate particles have more
  effect on mortality.

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Control Devices

• Scrubbers
• Baghouses
• Adsorption systems such as activated carbon
• biofilters
• vapor recovering systems

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Prevention

• Commute Alternatives
• Mass Transit
• Carpool
• Regulation of Emissions

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Conclusion

• Air Pollution is the most important global public
  health issue.
• Humans are exposed to air more than anything
  else.
• Air pollution can increase the mortality rate in
  a population.

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Questions
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References

• Air Pollution Prevention. Earth 911.
  http//earth911.org/air-quality/
• Brunekreff,B. and Holgate, S. (2002). Air
  Pollution and Health. The Lancet. 360 1233-1242.
• Dockery, D.W., Pope, C.A., et. al. (1993). An
  Association between Air Pollution and Mortality
  in Six U.S. Cities. The New England Journal of
  Medicine. 329(24) 1753-1759.