Proximity and Exposure to Air Pollution

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From Good Intentions to Proven Interventions: Effectiveness of Actions to Reduce the Health Impacts of Air Pollution (42 page pdf, Environ Health Perspect,  20 August 2010)

The article reviewed today reported on the association between proximity to high air pollutant concentrations and health impacts for various time intervals. It concluded that an number of important previously unaddressed steps could be taken to reduce those impacts, including land use planning and actions at individual health and fitness”

Key Quotes:

“For key pollutants such as particulate matter and ozone .., there are no established thresholds of exposure below which population health impacts are absent.”

“.. land use decisions typically do not consider air pollution-related health impacts and do not require minimum distances between sources and individuals. A consequence has been the siting of residences, schools and hospitals near major traffic arteries”

“must also consider .. relationship between increased sprawl and ozone concentrations .., as well as between increased neighbourhood walkability (via higher density, street connectivity and mixed-use design), and elevated concentrations of traffic related pollutants”

“Individuals residing within 50 m of a major road have a 63% excess risk of developing high coronary artery calcification compared with those living more than 200 m away from a major road”

“Extremely short term exposures to high PM levels can occur in many situations, including in traffic jams, at bus stops, in indoor parking garages, and at fireworks displays.. Short term exposure to diesel exhaust (1-2 hours) significantly reduces brachial artery diameter in healthy subjects and exacerbates exercise-induced ST-segment depression in people with pre-existing coronary artery disease”

“In order to develop an optimal mix of community and individual actions, it is important to understand how long term, short term, and very short term (sub-daily, over the course of several hours) exposure to air pollution affects disease mechanisms and particularly disease progression and reversibility”

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