During the last several decades, industrialization and urbanization have resulted in dramatic increases in vehicle-associated emissions. More than 50% of the total particulate matter (PM) emissions in urban areas are related to road traffic (Briggs et al. 1997). A number of studies have reported significant associations between traffic density or …
New Delhi: The hype surrounding ban on smoking at public places seems to have vanished into thin air. A recent survey shows that the ban has not been effectively implemented since it came into effect in October last year. The survey conducted by Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) found …
Air pollution levels in the megacities of Asia show a stabilizing trend but still exceed World Health Organization guidelines. Studies also show poor air quality, not only in the megacities of Asia, but also in smaller cities with populations of 200,000 to 1.5 million. While megacities often receive support for …
People burn crackers world over on different occasions in different countries to express their happiness. Fireworks in large amounts aggravate the level of air pollutants and cause significant short-term air quality degradation with possible impact on human health. Fine particles (PM2.5 <2.5 μm), which may pose detrimental effects on human …
Traffic pollution is known to cause chronic bronchitis and asthma, killing thousands every year. But that is not all. Simply living beside a busy road has its consequences. Particles in vehicular exhaust can stick to lungs for longer than was known, endanger the health of an unborn child, lead to …
Fine particulate matter [aerodynamic diameter ? 2.5 ?m (PM2.5)] has been associated with autonomic dysregulation. The authors hypothesized that PM2.5 influences postural changes in systolic blood pressure (?SBP) and in diastolic blood pressure (?DBP) and that this effect is modified by genes thought to be related to chronic lung disease.
During the last week of June 2008, central and northern California experienced thousands of forest and brush fires, giving rise to a week of severe fire-related particulate air pollution throughout the region. California experienced PM10?2.5 (particulate matter with mass median aerodynamic diameter > 2.5 ?m to < 10 ?m; coarse …
Studies of chronic health effects due to exposures to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ? 2.5 ?m (PM2.5) are often limited by sparse measurements. Satellite aerosol remote sensing data may be used to extend PM2.5 ground networks to cover a much larger area. This study examined the benefits of using …
Chronic exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) may contribute to premature mortality, but few studies to date have addressed this topic. This study assessed the association between TRAP and mortality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Air pollution in capital city Dhaka raised higher than Mexico and Mumbai killing thousands of people prematurely each year, health experts say. According to the Department of Environment (DoE) the density of airborne particulate matter (PM) reaches 463 micrograms per cubic metre (mcm) in the city during December-March period - …
Traffic is one of the major sources of harmful airborne particles worldwide. To relate exposure to adverse health effects it is important to determine the deposition probability of the inhaled particles in the human respiratory tract. The size-dependent deposition of 12?580 nm particles was measured with a novel setup in …
The aim of the study was to investigate the association of ambient air pollution and daily mortality in Erfurt, Germany, over a 10.5-year period after the German unification, when air quality improved.
An attempt has been made to quantify the relative abundance and size distribution of oily-droplets in the ambient air of Shillong using an optical microscope. The sampling was carried out at controlled, moderate traffic, high traffic, traffic intersections, industrial estates and elevated specific locations in different seasons during 1998-2000. It …
Air pollution is an important determinant of population health. In an analysis that correlates reductions in fine particulate matter (i.e., particles less than 2.5
Exposure to fine-particulate air pollution has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality, suggesting that sustained reductions in pollution exposure should result in improved life expectancy. This study directly evaluated the changes in life expectancy associated with differential changes in fine particulate air pollution that occurred in the United States …
The paper examines the spatial distribution of air pollution in response to recent air quality regulations in Delhi, India. Air pollution was monitored at 113 sites spread across Delhi and its surrounding areas from July
It has been hypothesized that ambient particulate air pollution is able to modify the autonomic nervous control of the heart, measured as heart rate variability (HRV) . Previously we reported heterogeneous associations between particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < 2.5
Biomass smoke is an important source of particulate matter (PM) , and much remains to be discovered with respect to the human health effects associated with this specific PM source. Exposure to biomass smoke can occur in one of two main categories: short-term exposures consist of periodic, seasonal exposures typified …
