Research finds dramatic health benefits following air
pollution reduction
A new study — ‘Health Benefits of Air Pollution
Reduction’, published in the American Thoracic Society’s journal Annals
of the American Thoracic Society, by the Environmental Committee of the
Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), has reviewed interventions
that have reduced air pollution at its source.
The lead author of the study Dr Dean Schraufnagel, MD,
ATSF, said: “We knew there were benefits from pollution control, but the
magnitude and relatively short time duration to accomplish them was impressive.
Our findings indicate almost immediate and substantial effects on health
outcomes followed by reduced exposure to air pollution. It’s critical
that governments adopt and enforce WHO guidelines for air pollution
immediately.”
In addition to the city-wide policies, reducing air
pollution within the home also led to health benefits. In Nigeria, families who
had clean cookstoves that reduced indoor air pollution during a nine-month
pregnancy term saw higher birthweights, greater gestational age at delivery,
and less perinatal mortality.
Emissions of the major pollutants — particulate matter
(PM), sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic
compounds, and lead — were reduced by 73 per cent between 1990 and 2015 while
the US gross domestic product grew by more than 250 per cent.
Given these findings, Dr Schraufnagel has hope. “Air
pollution is largely an avoidable health risk that affects everyone. Urban
growth, expanding industrialization, global warming, and new knowledge of the
harm of air pollution raises the degree of urgency for pollution control and
stress the consequences of inaction.”
09.12.2019
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