Impact of Air Pollution on Health

The Health Effects of Air Pollutants (59 slide pdf, 6^th Annual Workshop on Air Pollution and Health, Jun. 15, 2009)

Also discussed here:

(2 min YouTube video)



Key Quotes:

“A recent Canadian Medical Association estimate for BC residents projected 306 premature deaths (of which 85% relate to long-term exposure), and 1158 hospital admissions for 2008 through exposure to air pollution”

“Long-term particulate exposure is associated with:

• More frequent preterm births and low birth weight babies


• Middle ear disease in children


• Accelerated heart and lung disease”

“Short-term exposure results in:

• Increased rates of myocardial infarction for those with risk factors for heart disease


• Heart rate disturbances


• Episodes of acute asthma and bronchitis


• Reduced lung function”

Related articles

• Long Time Exposure to Traffic Pollution and COPD (pollutionfree.wordpress.com)


• Air pollution exposure increases risk of severe COPD (sciencedaily.com)


• Air Pollution Ups Risk of Chronic Lung Disease (nlm.nih.gov)


• Air pollution exceeds safety limits in big Asian cities: report (reuters.com)


• Impact of Air Pollution on Mortality in Canadian Cities (pollutionfree.wordpress.com)


• Air pollution 'costs us 6 months of our lives' (news.bioscholar.com)


• 7 interesting findings of recent study on air pollution in US cities (iipalbanjary.net)