The Health Costs of Asthma caused by Traffic-Related Air Pollution

Costs of childhood asthma due to traffic-related pollution in two california communities (S. J. Brandt, L. Perez, N. Kunzli, F. Lurmann, R. McConnell. Abstract, European Respiratory Journal, Jan. 20, 2012)

Also discussed here: Asthma Rate and Costs from Traffic Pollution Higher: Much Higher Than Past Traditional Risk Assessments Have Indicated (Science Daily, Jan. 25, 2012)

The focus of today’s review is a research article from California which examines costs directly and indirectly related to traffic related pollution. The conclusion is that the costs are much higher than suggested by traditional studies and that this cost is borne more by urban communities that experience traffic more than those which do not.


Key Quotes:

“Total additional asthma-specific costs there due to traffic-related pollution is about $18 million per year, almost half of which is due to new asthma cases caused by pollution”

“a single episode of bronchitic symptoms cost an average $972 in Riverside and $915 in Long Beach”

“people who live in cities with high traffic-related air pollution bear a higher burden of these costs than those in less polluted areas”

“families with children who have asthma are bearing a high cost. The total annual estimate between $3,800 and $4,000 represents 7 percent of median household income….higher than the 5 percent considered to be a bearable or sustainable level of health care costs for a family”

“Traditional risk assessment methods for air pollution have underestimated both the overall burden of asthma and the cost of the disease associated with air pollution.. the cost has been substantially underestimated and steps must be taken to reduce the burden of traffic-related pollution”

Related articles

• Experts Warn Cost Of Asthma Caused By Traffic-Related Air Pollution Is Much Higher Than Previous Estimates (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Warning over cost of asthma caused by traffic-related air pollution (eurekalert.org)
• Asthma Rates And Costs Rise Due To Traffic Pollution (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Health Impacts from Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Biomass Fuels (pollutionfreecities.blogspot.com)
• Asthma rate and costs from traffic-related air pollution are much higher than once believed (eurekalert.org)
• Asthma rate and costs from traffic-related air pollution are much higher than once believed (nextbigfuture.com)
• Asthma rate and costs from traffic-related air pollution are much higher than once believed (medicalxpress.com)
• Factors Causing Asthma Disease and its Control Method (bangunkerto.wordpress.com)