 |
|
Traffic exhaust can cause asthma, allergies and impaired respiratory function in children
April 10, 2008Children exposed to high levels of air pollution during their first year of life run a greater risk of developing asthma, pollen allergies, and impaired respiratory function. However, genetic factors are also at play. These are the results of a new study conducted under the BAMSE project.
The BAMSE project has monitored 4,000 children in Stockholm county from birth in order to assess whether exposure to traffic pollution during their first year of life affects the risk of developing asthma and allergies. Levels of traffic exhaust were measured at the site of the home. The results show that the children who were exposed to high concentrations of pollutants ran a 60 per cent higher risk of suffering of persistent asthma symptoms. Respiratory function was also adversely affected, and the children were much more likely to be allergic to airborne allergens, particularly pollen.
Studies were also made of how the risk of developing air pollution-related allergies is influenced by genetic factors. It was found that children carrying a variant of GSTP1 (glutathione S-transferase P1) gene, which is crucial to the body's ability to take care of air pollutants (the antioxidative system), run a greater risk of developing an allergy linked to traffic-related air pollution. According to new analyses, variants of another 'asthma gene', TNF (tumour necrosis factor), also affect sensitivity to air pollution. Children with a particular combination of GSTP1 and TNF variants run a considerably higher risk of developing allergies.
The children studied in the BAMSE project are now 12 years old, and an on-line follow-up survey of the children and their parents has now been launched. The answers to the survey will provide information about health, lifestyle and environmental conditions, including air pollution, during the children's lives.
Conclusions
1. Children who grow up in Stockholm are at greater risk of developing asthma, respiratory problems and pollen allergies if they live in areas where there are high concentrations of traffic pollution.
2. Not all children who live in areas with high levels of air pollution develop allergies. Whether they do or not is partly determined by genetic factors.
3. For the first time, data are now obtained for the BAMSE project using web-based techniques, which give more reliable answers.
Karolinska Institutet
The children studied in the BAMSE project are now 12 years old, and an on-line follow-up survey of the children and their parents has now been launched. The answers to the survey will provide information about health, lifestyle and environmental conditions, including air pollution, during the children's lives.
Conclusions
1. Children who grow up in Stockholm are at greater risk of developing asthma, respiratory problems and pollen allergies if they live in areas where there are high concentrations of traffic pollution.
2. Not all children who live in areas with high levels of air pollution develop allergies. Whether they do or not is partly determined by genetic factors.
3. For the first time, data are now obtained for the BAMSE project using web-based techniques, which give more reliable answers.
Karolinska Institutet
Air Pollution Current Events and Air Pollution News RSSHidden threat: Elevated pollution levels near regional airports
Scientists are reporting evidence that air pollution - a well-recognized problem at major airports - may pose an important but largely overlooked health concern for people living near smaller regional airports.
Consumption of certain fish during pregnancy associated with poorer cognitive performance
Children who eat fish more than 3 times per week show a worse performance in the general cognitive, executive and perceptual-manipulative areas.
Nitrogen loss threatens desert plant life, study shows
As the climate gets warmer, arid soils lose nitrogen as gas, reports a new Cornell study. That could lead to deserts with even less plant life than they sustain today, say the researchers.
Air pollution increases infants' risk of bronchiolitis
Infants who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution are at increased risk for bronchiolitis, according to a new study.
USC study finds big air pollution impacts on local communities
Heavy traffic corridors in the cities of Long Beach and Riverside are responsible for a significant proportion of preventable childhood asthma, and the true impact of air pollution and ship emissions on the disease has likely been underestimated, according to researchers at the University of Southern California (USC).
Researchers discover links between city walkability and air pollution exposure
A new study compares neighborhoods' walkability (degree of ease for walking) with local levels of air pollution and finds that some neighborhoods might be good for walking, but have poor air quality.
Shifting the world to 100 percent clean, renewable energy as early as 2030 -- here are the numbers
Most of the technology needed to shift the world from fossil fuel to clean, renewable energy already exists. Implementing that technology requires overcoming obstacles in planning and politics, but doing so could result in a 30 percent decrease in global power demand.
Report examines hidden costs of energy production and use
A new report from the National Research Council examines and, when possible, estimates "hidden" costs of energy production and use -- such as the damage air pollution imposes on human health -- that are not reflected in market prices of coal, oil, other energy sources, or the electricity and gasoline produced from them.
Improving China's acid rain control strategy
Scientists are reporting the first evidence that China's sharp focus on reducing widespread damage to soil by acid rain by restricting sulfur dioxide air pollution may have an unexpected consequence: Gains from that pollution control program will be largely offset by increases in nitrogen emissions, which the country's current policy largely overlooks.
Injury and hazards in home health care nursing are a growing concern
Patients continue to enter home healthcare ''sicker and quicker," often with complex health problems that may require extensive nursing care.
More Air Pollution Current Events and Air Pollution News Articles
 |
Fundamentals of Air Pollution, Fourth Edition by Daniel Vallero Dr. Vallero holds a Ph.D. in engineering from Duke University a Masters in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Kansas a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Southern Illinois University and a Bachelors in the Earth Sciences and Psychology from SIU. (Author) Fundamentals of Air Pollution is an important and widely used textbook in the environmental science and engineering community. Written shortly after the passage of the seminal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the third edition was quite timely. Surprisingly, the text has remained relevant for university professors, engineers, scientists, policy makers and students up to recent years. However, in light of the transition in the last five years from predominantly technology-based standards (maximum achievable control technologies or MACTs) to risk-based regulations and air quality standards, the text must be updated significantly. The fourth edition will be updated to include numerous MACTs which were not foreseen during the writing of the third edition, such as secondary lead (Pb)... |
 |
Air Pollution: Its Origin and Control (3rd Edition) by Kenneth Wark (Author), Cecil F. Warner (Author), Wayne T. Davis (Author) A well-respected air pollution text, this book is suitable for a variety of engineers and scientists who wish to gain an introduction to the field of air pollution. Known for its detailed development and application of equations, the text emphasizes an understanding of the relationship between sources and control of air pollution, rather than being a simple "handbook" on the subject. The book presents information on four broad areas of interest in the air pollution field: the effects of pollutants on health and welfare; the laws and regulations that have been passed in efforts to improve air quality; the modeling of atmospheric dispersion of pollutants; the approaches to the control of emissions (from both stationary and mobile sources). The third edition of... |
 |
Air Pollution (True Books: Environment) by Rhonda Lucas Donald (Author) Ideal for today's young investigative reader, each A True Book includes lively sidebars, a glossary and index, plus a comprehensive "To Find Out More" section listing books, organizations, and Internet sites. A staple of library collections since the 1950s, the new A True Book series is the definitive nonfiction series for elementary school readers. |
 |
Air Pollution Control (3rd Edition) by C. David Cooper (Author), F. C. Alley (Author) Since the First Edition appeared, Air Pollution Control: A Design Approach has become the leading air pollution control text on the strengths of good writing, comprehensive coverage, an emphasis on design, and excellent real-world examples. The Third Edition continues this tradition of excellence, incorporating new and updated information throughout the text while retaining the topical organization and features that have made it an invaluable learning tool for instructors and students alike. The Third Edition successfully achieves two main objectives. First, it presents detailed information about air pollution and its control. Causes, sources, effects, and regulation of air pollution are discussed, as well as the economic analysis necessary for efficient and effective control of air... |
 |
Atmosphere: Air Pollution and Its Effects (Our Fragile Planet) by Dana Desonie (Author) Earth's atmosphere supports and protects all of its life, giving the planet its blue skies, mild temperatures, and weather. But people use the atmosphere for another purpose: as a dump for waste gases and particles. Air pollution obscures vistas, damages ecosystems, and compromises human health. Combined with water in the atmosphere, air pollutants create acid rain. In the upper atmosphere, air pollutants damage the ozone layer, which protects life from the sun's harmful rays. Excess emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane push global temperatures higher, creating global warming. While some pollutants are successfully regulated, as population grows and industries expand, more intensive solutions are needed to deal with the many types of air pollution and its... |
 |
Atmospheric Pollution by Mark Z. Jacobson (Author) This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the history and science of major air pollution issues. It begins with an introduction to the basic atmospheric chemistry and the history of discovery of chemicals in the atmosphere, and then moves on to a discussion of the evolution of the earth's atmosphere, and the structure and composition of the present-day atmosphere. It also offers a comprehensive and accessible discussion of the five major atmospheric pollution topics: urban outdoor air pollution, indoor air pollution, acid deposition, stratospheric ozone reduction, and global climate change. |
 |
Air Pollution: Problems and Solutions (Science and Society) by J. S. Kidd (Author), Renee A. Kidd (Author) The impact society has on the progress and acceptance of new science - and vice versa - is greater than most people think. For instance, over the past five years, events indicate that citizens' views have helped change the focus of the research and development carried out by both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and by the Environmental Protection Agency. Likewise, citizen actions have influenced the direction of the activities of organizations such as the World Bank in their efforts to improve agriculture and living conditions in the developing nations of the world. The new "Science and Society" set not only highlights the "what" of science, but also the "why," the "how," and the "who." Each volume provides an accessible, authoritative view of the history and current state of a... |
|
Nsca Pollution Handbook by Natl Soc for Clean Air The National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection publishes this annual guide to legislation in the UK for pollution control. | |
 |
Air Pollution Engineering Manual by Air & Waste Management Association (Author), Wayne R. Davis (Editor) The definitive resource for information on air pollution emission sources and the technology available to control them. The Air Pollution Engineering Manual has long been recognized as an important source of information on air pollution control issues for industries affected by the Clean Air Act and regulations in other countries. Thoroughly updated to reflect the latest emission factors and control measures for reducing air pollutants, this new edition provides industry and government professionals with the fundamental, technological, and regulatory information they need for compliance with the most recent air pollution standards. Contributing experts from diverse fields discuss the different processes that generate air pollution, equipment used with all types of gases and... |
 |
Air Pollution, Smog, and Acid Rain DVD Starring: Artist Not Provided The thin layer of air that envelops the earth is essential to life. Unfortunately, modern living produces chemical by-products that threaten not only the quality of life, but also the number of living creatures and organisms that can survive in such conditions. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |