Tag: pollution

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Pollution is hazardous to people in good health too

We already knew that pollution negatively affected people in poor health. Now Australian researchers say that it can also be detrimental to healthy people.

While this is relatively rare, the journal Epidemiology reports there are risks of cardiac arrest or even sudden death for healthy people exposed to urban pollution.

The risk remains high even 48 hours after an increased concentration of fine particles in the air, like on a smog alert day.

A team led by Dr. Martin Dennkamp at Monash University studied the records of 8,400 people who died of heart problems between 2003 and 2006 in Melbourne.

However, researchers cannot say conclusively that pollution was the cause of cardiac arrest because they did not have access to important data. This additional data on the lifestyles of those who died, including as their level of smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and obesity, would need to be considered as well.

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Pollution causes more and more health problems

During the 78th congress of the Association francophone pour le savoir (ACFAS), Dr. Louis Drouin from Direction de la santé publique mentioned that air pollution is causing more and more health problems in Quebec, especially in Montreal.

According to the doctor, this is a direct consequence of urban development that emphasizes cars. The number of cars has been increasing on Quebec roads since 1960. This has resulted in an increase in suspended particles in the air we breathe.

Dr. Drouin says, "The mortality rate linked to cardiorespiratory illnesses represents 1,500 premature deaths in Montreal. Smog affects 114,000 asthmatics every year in the city. The problem of allergic rhinitis has been increasing hand over fist for the past 15 years. The pollen period has grown from 48 days to 70 days and pollen concentrations have also grown."

The doctor also says that people who live less than 200 metres from a highway are hospitalized more often. Pregnant women living in the same area are 17% more likely  to give birth to an low birth weight baby.

The conference strongly recommends reducing the number of vehicles on the road, putting more emphasis on public transit and pedestrian areas.

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City pollution is heartbreaking

Regular and prolonged exposure to the levels of carbon monoxide found in cities can seriously affect cardiac function.

A study by CNRS and INSERM researchers published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine reveals that urban pollution can be dangerous to your health.

Researchers measured the effects of carbon monoxide on healthy rats. For 14 weeks, they were exposed to pure air and the same level of carbon monoxide that is found in cities.

Those exposed to the carbon monoxide showed a marked difference in their left ventricle and changes in their cardiac function.

Researchers also noted that stress can play an important role in the development of certain serious problems like cardiac hypertrophy, tachycardia and an increased risk of fatal heart attacks.

Now researchers want to find out if this data obtained from rats can be confirmed in humans.

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Air pollution affects fetal development

Pregnant women exposed to air pollution like car exhaust, heating, etc. can see the development of their babies affected.

According to a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, air pollution harms the fetus after the second trimester of pregnancy. It can lead to low birth weight and affect the circumference of the baby’s head.

For this study, researchers followed 280 pregnant women until the birth of their child. From the middle of their pregnancy, women wore a device to measure the level of benzene in ambient air. This device provided results that show air pollution does affect the fetus.

However, scientists do not yet know the mechanism that causes an infant’s development to be impaired because of pollution. Further research is needed. For now, they hypothesize that it disrupts the mother’s cardiovascular functions which would restrict the exchanges between mother and baby.