Harvard Six Cities Study Update on Mortality from Exposure to Fine Particles

Chronic Exposure to Fine Particles and Mortality: An Extended Follow-Up of the Harvard Six Cities Study from 1974 to 2009 (31 page pdf, Johanna Lepeule, Francine Laden, Douglas Dockery, Joel Schwartz, Environ Health Perspect,  Mar. 28, 2012) The research article of interest today is an update of the famous 1993 Six Cities Study (in the [...]

Slight Decreases in Air Quality and Higher Risk of Strokes

Ambient Air Pollution and the Risk of Acute Ischemic Stroke (Abstract, Gregory A. Wellenius, Mary R. Burger, Brent A. Coull, Joel Schwartz, Helen H. Suh, ScD; Petros Koutrakis, Gottfried Schlaug, Diane R. Gold, Murray A. Mittleman,  Arch Intern Med., Feb. 13, 2012) Also discussed here: Even Moderate Air Pollution Can Raise Stroke Risks (Science Daily,Feb. [...]

Canadian Health Impacts to Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter

Risk of Non-accidental and Cardiovascular Mortality in Relation to Long-term Exposure to Low Concentrations of Fine Particulate Matter: A Canadian National-level Cohort Study (29 page pdf, Dan L. Crouse, Paul A. Peters, Aaron van Donkelaar,Mark S. Goldberg, Paul J.Villeneuve, Orly Brion, Saeeda Khan, Dominic Odwa Atari, Michael Jerrett, C. Arden Pope III, Michael Brauer, Jeffrey [...]

Global Overview of Health Impacts from Particulate Matter

Premature Mortality and Particulate Matter: A Critical Challenge in Urban Management – A Global Perspective on Effects, Placed in an Asian Context (57 page pdf slides, Bob O’Keefe, Sixth Regional EST Forum in Asia, New Delhi, India, Nov. 9, 2011) Today, we review the keynote address to The Sixth Regional EST Forum in Asia,sponsored by [...]

Proximity to Traffic, Autism and Impacts on the Brain

The Hidden Toll of Traffic Jams – Scientists Increasingly Link Vehicle Exhaust With Brain-Cell Damage, Higher Rates of Autism (Robert Lee Hotz , Wall Street Journal, Nov. 8, 2011) Today, we return to a review of studies on the health impacts on the brain for those who breathe air near traffic. The studies indicate that [...]

The Health Impact of Indoor Air Pollution

Method to Estimate the Chronic Health Impact of Air Pollutants in U.S. Residences (29 page pdf, Logue JM, Price PN, Sherman MH, Singer BC, Environ Health Perspect, Nov.17, 2011) Today we review research into indoor air quality as it effects health on a long term basis. The main sources of the three main pollutants (aside [...]

Sprawl and Health Impacts in Ontario, Canada

Report on Public Health and Urban Sprawl in Ontario – A review of the pertinent literature (53 page pdf, Riina Bray,Catherine Vakil MD, David Elliott,  Environmental Health Committee, Ontario College of Family Physicians, Jan. 2005) Today we review a report from the environmental health community on the negative impacts that sprawl has on the province [...]

Is there a Link between Climate Warming and Hospital Infections?

Seasonal and Temperature-Associated Increases in Gram-Negative Bacterial Bloodstream Infections among Hospitalized Patients ( 6 Page pdf, Michael R. Eber1, Michelle Shardell, Marin L. Schweizer, Ramanan Laxminarayan, Eli N., Perencevich, PLoS ONE, Sep. 26, 2011) Today’s review summarizes analysis of the incidence of bloodstream infections in hospitals with higher outside air temperatures. The results indicate a [...]

Estimating Health Impacts on Major Streets Using Oxidative Potential of Particulates

Contrasts in Oxidative Potential and Other PM Characteristics Collected Near Major Streets and Background Locations (32 page pdf, Hanna Boogaard, Nicole A.H. Janssen, Paul H. Fischer, Gerard P.A. Kos, Ernie P. Weijers, Flemming R. Cassee, Saskia C. van der Zee, Jeroen J. de Hartog, Bert Brunekreef, Gerard Hoek, Environ Health Perspect, Oct. 20, 2011) Today’s [...]

Air Pollution Preconditions for Heart Attacks

A retrospective cohort study of stroke onset: Implications for characterizing short term effects from ambient air pollution  (27 page pdf,  Julie YM Johnson, Paul J Villeneuve, Dion Pasichnyk and Brian H Rowe, Environmental Health, Oct. 6, 2011) Today we review an interesting look at what difference it makes when using the date that a stroke [...]

Exposure to Pollution and Heart Attack Risk

The effects of hourly differences in air pollution on the risk of myocardial infarction: case crossover analysis of the MINAP database (Abstract, Krishnan Bhaskaran, Shakoor Hajat, Ben Armstrong, Andy Haines, Emily Herrett, Paul Wilkinson, Liam Smeeth, BMJ, Sep.20, 2011) Today’s review article looks at how long after exposure to high levels of pollution is there [...]

Exposure to Air Pollution and Heart Attacks

Supraventricular Arrhythmia Following Exposure to Concentrated Ambient Air Pollution Particles (14 page pdf, Andrew J. Ghio, Maryann Bassett, Tracey Montilla, Eugene H. Chung, Wayne E. Cascio, Martha Sue Carraway, Environmental Health Perspectives, Sep. 6, 2011) The focus today is on the reaction of a middle aged woman’s heart to air pollution particles and an analysis [...]

Which Sources of Fine Particulates Have the Most Health Impacts?

The Effects of Particulate Matter Sources on Daily Mortality: A Case-Crossover Study of Barcelona, Spain (28 page pdf, Bart Ostro, Aurelio Tobias, Xavier Querol, Andrés Alastuey, Fulvio Amato, Jorge Pey, Noemí Pérez, Jordi Sunyer, Environ Health Perspect, Aug. 16, 2011) The focus today is on the results of an investigation into eight sources of particulate [...]

Traffic Air and Sound Pollution Impacts on Blood Pressure and Hypertension

Long-Term Urban Particulate Air Pollution, Traffic Noise and Arterial Blood Pressure (30 page pdf, Kateryna Fuks, Susanne Moebus, Sabine Hertel, Anja Viehmann, Michael Nonnemacher, Nico Dragano, Stefan Möhlenkamp, Hermann Jakobs, Christoph Kessler, Raimund Erbel, Barbara Hoffmann, |Environmental Health Perspectives, Aug. 9, 2011) The focus today is on research into the impacts of long term exposure [...]

Risk Assessment and Air Pollution Epidemiology

Improving the Linkages between Air Pollution Epidemiology and Quantitative Risk Assessment (23 page pdf, Fann N, Bell ML, Walker K, Hubbell B, Environmental Health Perspectives, Aug. 4, 2011) Today’s focus is on the link between the assessment of health risk on the one hand and the analysis of causes and effect of health impacts through [...]

Diesel Exhaust Particulates and Heart Disease

Combustion-derived nanoparticulate induces the adverse vascular effects of diesel exhaust inhalation (12 page pdf, Nicholas L. Mills, Mark R. Miller, Andrew J. Lucking, Jon Beveridge, Laura Flint, A. John F. Boere, Paul H. Fokkens, Nicholas A. Boon, Thomas Sandstrom, Anders Blomberg, Rodger Duffin, Ken Donaldson, PatrickW.F. Hadoke, Flemming R. Cassee, and David E. Newby. European [...]

Does Traffic Air Pollution Cause Cervical and Brain Cancer?

Air pollution from traffic and cancer incidence: a Danish cohort study (33 page pdf, Ole Raaschou-Nielsen, Zorana J Andersen, Martin Hvidberg, Steen S Jensen, Matthias Ketzel, Mette Sorensen, Johnni Hansen, Steffen Loft, Kim Overvad and Anne Tjonneland, Environmental Health 2011, 10:67, Jul. 19, 2011) The article reviewed today looks at exposure to traffic–related air pollution [...]

How Does Particulate Matter Affect the Brain

Air pollution impairs cognition, provokes depressive-like behaviors and alters hippocampal cytokine expression and morphology (L K Fonken, X Xu, Z M Weil, G Chen, Q Sun, S Rajagopalan and R J Nelson, Molecular Psychiatry , Jul. 5, 2011) The journal article reviewed today looks at the health impacts of air pollution, not on heart and [...]

Health Impacts of Landfills and Incinerators

Health impact assessment of waste management facilities in three European countries (48 page pdf, , Francesco Forastiere, Chiara Badaloni, Kees de Hoogh, Martin Krayer von Kraus, Marco Martuzzi, Francesco Mitis, Lubica Palkovicova, Daniela Porta, Philipp Preiss, Andrea Ranzi, Carlo A Perucci, David Briggs, Environmental Health 2011, 10:53, June 2, 2011) Today’s review article assessed the [...]

Impact of Nitrogen Dioxide on Mortality in Italian Cities

Short Term Effects of Nitrogen Dioxide on Mortality and Susceptibility Factors in Ten Italian Cities: the EpiAir Study (33 page pdf, Monica Chiusolo, Ennio Cadum, Massimo Stafoggia, Claudia Galassi, Giovanna Berti, Annunziata Faustini, Luigi Bisanti, Maria Angela Vigotti, Maria Patrizia Dessì, Achille Cernigliaro, Sandra Mallone, Barbara Pacelli, Sante Minerba, Lorenzo Simonato and Francesco Forastiere on [...]

Triggering of Inflammation Response by Fine Particulate Matter

Dysfunction via NADPH Oxidase and TLR4 Pathways – Chronic Fine Particulate Matter Exposure Induces Systemic Vascular (29 page pdf, Qinghua Sun, Henning Morawietz and Sanjay Rajagopalan, Nitin P. Padture, Sampath Parthasarathy, Lung Chi Chen, Susan Moffatt-Bruce, Deiuliis, Xiaohua Xu, Nisharahmed Kherada, Robert D. Brook, Kongara M. Reddy, Thomas Kampfrath, Andrei Maiseyeu, Zhekang Ying, Zubair Shah, [...]

How Does Air Pollution Affect Life Expectancy?

How to determine life expectancy change of air pollution mortality: a time series study (35 page pdf, Ari Rabl, Tq Thach, Pyk Chau and Cm Wong, Environmental Health, Mar.31, 2011) Today’s review article examines the important question asked when a policy to improve air quality, such as congestion pricing, is introduced- what difference would this [...]

Impacts of Nano Particulates from Urban Traffic on the Brain

Glutamatergic Neurons in Rodent Models Respond to Nanoscale Particulate Urban Air Pollutants In Vivo and In Vitro (31 page pdf, Todd E Morgan, David A Davis, Nahoko Iwata, Jeremy A Tanner, David Snyder, Zhi Ning, Winnie Kam, Yu-Tien Hsu, Jeremy W Winkler, Jiu-Chiuan Chen, Nicos A Petasis, Michel Baudry, Constantinos Sioutas, Caleb E Finch, Environmental [...]

Economic Impacts of Air Pollution from Asthma

The Economic Affliction of Asthma and Risks of Blocking Air Pollution Safeguards (12 page pdf, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments and the National Association of School Nurses, Apr. 6, 2011)   Today’s review article assesses the economic impact of asthma in the USA, both the direct costs from medical treatment and the indirect costs [...]

Proximity to Traffic Air Pollution and Birth Outcomes

Increased traffic exposure and negative birth outcomes: a prospective cohort in Australia (24 page pdf, Adrian G Barnett, Kathryn Plonka, W. Kim Seow, Lee-Ann Wilson and Craig Hansen, Environmental Health, Apr. 1, 2011)   Today’s focus is on a paper that assessed the impact of the proximity of pregnant women to traffic with the birth [...]

Population Exposure Modelling in Canada

Creating National Air Pollution Models for Population Exposure Assessment in Canada (31 page pdf, Perry Hystad, Eleanor Setton, Alejandro Cervantes, Karla Poplawski, Steeve Deschenes, Michael Brauer, Aaron van Donkelaar, Lok Lamsal, Randall Martin, Michael Jerrett, and Paul Demers; Environ Health Perspect., Mar. 31, 2011)   The focus today is on a review of methods used [...]

Roadside Traffic Emissions and Lung Transplants

The impact of traffic air pollution on bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome and mortality after lung transplantation (Abstract, Tim S Nawrot, Robin Vos, Lotte Jacobs, Stijn E Verleden, Shana Wauters, Veerle Mertens, Christophe Dooms, Peter H Hoet, Dirk E Van Raemdonck, Christel Faes, Lieven J Dupont, Benoit Nemery, Geert M Verleden, Bart M Vanaudenaerde, Thorax, British Medical [...]

Modelling Exposure to Health Risks from Air Pollution

Combining Regional- and Local-Scale Air Quality Models with Exposure Models for Use in Environmental Health Studies (12 page pdf, Vlad Isakov, Jawad S. Touma, and Janet Burke, Danelle T. Lobdell, Ted Palma, Arlene Rosenbaum, Haluk Ozkaynak, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, Vol. 59:461– 472, Apr. 2009)   Today’s focus is on ways [...]

Measuring Ultrafine Particle Emissions

Challenges and Approaches for Developing Ultrafine Particle Emission Inventories for Motor Vehicle and Bus Fleets (21 page pdf, Diane U. Keogh and Darrell Sonntag, Atmosphere 2011, 2(2), 36-56, Mar. 24, 2011)   The research reviewed today looks at the factors that need to be considered when developing a system to collect and archive ultrafine particle [...]

Diesel Emissions and Lung Damage

Road RAGE? The Role of Diesel Particulate Matter in Lung Inflammation (Betts KS, Environ Health Perspect 119, March 1, 2011)   The research reviewed today examines the components of diesel particulates found in environments close to truck and bus traffic that are particularly harmful to health through biological interactions in the lungs. To read more [...]

Traffic as a Trigger for Heart Attacks

Public health importance of triggers of myocardial infarction: a comparative risk assessment (Dr Tim S Nawrot PhD, Laura Perez PhD, Prof Nino Künzli MD, Elke Munters MD, Prof Benoit Nemery MD, The Lancet, Feb. 24, 2011) The conclusion to note from today’s review article is “air pollution is an important trigger of myocardial infarction”- a [...]

Do Petrol Stations Pollute?

Assessing the impact of petrol stations on their immediate surroundings (8 page pdf, Journal of Environmental Management, December 2010) Also discussed here: Petrol stations pollute their immediate surroundings (Eurekalert, FECYT – Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology ,Feb. 4, 2011) And here: Traffic, Pollution and Scales of Exposure (Pollution Free Cities, Jan 3, 2011) Research [...]

The Risk of Lung Cancer from Living near Traffic

Image via Wikipedia Lung Cancer Incidence and Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution from Traffic (33 page pdf, Environ Health Perspect ,  Jan. 12, 2011) The article under review today comes from Denmark where exposure to traffic within 200 m was correlated with the incidence of lung cancer over a 12 year period. Not surprisingly, a [...]

Health Impacts from Climate Change – a Canadian Perspective

Image by 416style via Flickr Climate Warming Impacts Health (Canadian Geographic, Oct. 2010) Key Quotes: “climate change could be the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.” [Lancet, 2009] “The alert, sent out by the Extreme Heat Wave Portal to public health and emergency officials across Quebec, was generated by software developed by Gosselin’s [...]

Health Effects of Air Pollution from Motor Vehicles

Part I. Epidemiological studies of the health effects of air pollution due to motor vehicles (page 13-62), Motor Vehicle Air Pollution – Public Health Impact and Control Measures (250 pages pdf, World Health Organization, 1992) Key Quotes: “Usually, over 90% of the CO in city centers comes from vehicles and it is common to find [...]

The Cleanest (and Dirtiest) Cities in the World

Most “Global” Cities Aren’t the Dirtiest (The City Fix, Feb. 9, 2009) Also discussed here: Global Cities Index (Foreign Policy, Oct. 15, 2008) And here: Quality of Living worldwide city rankings 2010 – Mercer survey (Mercer, May 26, 2010) What makes a large city sustainable and clean is the focus of today’s review article. Key [...]

Risk of Dying from Heat Waves in US Cities

Heatwaves in the United States: Mortality Risk During Heatwaves and Effect Modification by Heatwave Characteristics in 43 US Communities (41 page pdf, Environ Health Perspect, November 18, 2010) Also discussed here: Heat Waves, Climate Change and Urban Mortality (Pollution Free Cities, Jul. 30, 2010) The article reviewed today reports on a comprehensive study of heat [...]

Impact of Air Pollution on Health

The Health Effects of Air Pollutants (59 slide pdf, 6th 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 [...]

Long Time Exposure to Traffic Pollution and COPD

Image via Wikipedia Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Long-Term Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution: A Cohort Study (Abstract, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine., Sep. 24, 2010) Also discussed here: Air Pollution Exposure Increases Risk of Severe COPD (Science Daily, Nov. 5, 2010) Key Quotes: “Long term exposure to low-level air pollution may [...]

The Changing Meaning of Sustainability

Image via Wikipedia What is Sustainability? (13 page pdf, Sustainability 2010, 2(11), 3436-3448, Nov.1, 2010) The authors of the article under review today tackled a large challenge in examining what “sustainable development” meant when introduced in 1987 by the Brundtland Commission and what it has become in being applied with such concepts as Triple Bottom [...]

Impact of Pollution from Traffic on Childhood Development

Image via Wikipedia Prenatal Exposure to Airborne Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Children’s Intelligence at 5 Years of Age in a Prospective Cohort Study in Poland (6 page pdf, Environ Health Perspect 118:1326-1331, 20 April 2010) Also discussed here: Can Pollution Affect My Child’s IQ? (Health News, Oct. 22, 2010) Key Quotes: “study found that children [...]

Who has the Greatest Health Impacts from Particulate Matter?

Image via Wikipedia Particulate Matter Induced Health Effects: Who’s Susceptible? (43 page pdf, Environmental Health Perspectives, 20 Oct 2010) Key Quotes: “To identify populations potentially at greatest risk for particulate matter (PM)- related health effects by evaluating epidemiologic studies that examined various characteristics that may influence susceptibility” “definition for the term ‘susceptible population’ as it [...]

Global Health Impact of Air, Land and Water Pollution

Image via Wikipedia Ecology of Increasing Diseases: Population Growth and Environmental Degradation (Human Ecology, Volume 35, Number 6, 653-668, Dec. 2007) Also discussed here: Pollution causes 40 percent of deaths worldwide, study finds (Eurekalert, Aug. 13, 2007) And here: Environmental pollution and degradation causes 40 percent of deaths worldwide, Cornell study finds (Cornell News, Sep. [...]

Fine Particles and Cardiac Arrests in New York City

Image via Wikipedia Association of Ambient Fine Particles With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in New York City (Abstract, Am. J. Epidemiol., August 20, 2010) Also discussed here: Particulate pollution linked to deadly cardiac arrests, current health standards are too weak (Greenchange, Sept. 17, 2010) And here:  Pollution Takes Its Toll on the Heart(Science Daily, Sept. 21, [...]

Health Risks from Burning Wood and Coal

Image by BarelyFitz via Flickr In-home Coal and Wood Use and Lung Cancer Risk: A Pooled-Analysis of the International Lung Cancer Consortium (20 page pdf, Environ Health Perspect, 15 September 2010) Also discussed here: Mapping Particulate Matter in African City (Pollution Free Cities, Jan. 20, 2010) Also here: Where there’s fire, there’s smoke (Pollution Free [...]

Proximity and Exposure to Air Pollution

Image by Getty Images via @daylife 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 [...]

Optimal Benefits of Air Pollution Dose Reductions

Image via Wikipedia Mind the Gap (21 page pdf, Environ Health Perspect., 20 August 2010) Today’s article review looks at the non-linear increase in health impact of a person exposed to increased doses of air pollution. It concludes that this increase is greatest at low pollution levels so that elimination of the exposure rather than [...]

Exposure to Pollution and Public Health – a review

Exposure Science: A View of the Past and Milestones for the Future (10 page pdf, Environ Health Perspect 118:1081-1090, 01 August 2010) This broad review of the history of exposure science discusses several leading edge tools and applications such as GPS mapping and biomonitoring, as well as carefully delineating the differences between environmental science, environmental [...]

Case-Crossover Analysis

Case-Crossover Analysis of Air Pollution Health Effects: A Systematic Review of Methodology and Application (10 page pdf, Environ Health Perspect 118:1165-1172, 01 August 2010) This article contains an extensive literature review of a technique that will advance the study of short term links between air pollution and health. Key Quotes: “systematic review of case-crossover (CCO) [...]

Environmental Health Cancer Risks

Image via Wikipedia Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now (240 page pdf, President’s Cancer Panel, April 2010) Also discussed here: Cancer Report Examines Environmental Hazards (1 page pdf, Environ Health Perspect, 01 August 2010) This major report from a task force of the US president focuses on environmental health risks that result [...]