Air Quality and Climate Change: A Delicate Balance
1. ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
When a dome of high atmospheric pressure stalls over an area, it concentrates pollutants close to the ground. High pressure also has been associated with a greater occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia and myocardial infarction, independent of other risk factors.
2. HEAT AND SUNLIGHT
Higher temperatures and ultraviolet radiation interact with precursor pollutants to produce ground-level O3. Exposure to O3 can cause shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, lower respiratory tract infection, decreased lung function, airway injury and inflammation, and premature death. Even small increases in O3 beyond background levels may harm human health. Short-term hikes in O3 concentrations over 1–2 days have been associated with an increase in acute coronary events in middle-aged adults without previously diagnosed heart disease independently of meteorological elements.
Heat stress and higher temperatures can also contribute to greater cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, probably via autonomic changes, dehydration, endothelial cell damage, and increased blood viscosity and platelet and red blood counts.
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3. ANTHROPOGENIC EMISSIONS
Emissions such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds contribute to O3 formation. In addition to causing direct human health effects, many emitted pollutants act as greenhouse gases, while some others, such as sulfur dioxide, have cooling properties.
4. INCREASED PRECIPITATION
Warming temperatures mean air is capable of holding more moisture. Increased atmospheric vapor combined with low pressure can result in more severe storms. Rain is necessary to clear pollutants from the air, but too much rain coming down too fast increases the risk of flooding. When homes are flooded, they are more susceptible to mold outbreaks. Exposure to mold toxins can cause respiratory illnesses.
5. WILDFIRES
Hotter temperatures and drought contribute to increased risk of wildfires. Wildfire smoke contains more than 10,000 substances, which can travel long distances and affect large populations for days to months. Air pollution from wildfires drives up the numbers of hospitalizations and emergency department visits and causes an estimated 339,000 premature deaths per year worldwide.
6. INCREASED HUMIDITY
Hotter, more humid weather tends to irritate airways, making breathing more difficult for many people with asthma and other respiratory ailments. Spikes in temperature and humidity are associated with increased emergency department visits for asthma attacks, especially in children. Such circumstances also are associated with ventricular arrhythmia and myocardial infarction.
7. DROUGHT
Increased evaporation can be a major factor in heat waves and associated forest fires and droughts. WIthout rain, air becomes choked with dust, smoke, and other pollutants that can exacerbate or cause asthma, rhinosinusitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory tract infections.
8. POLLEN
Airborne pollen, mold spores, and dust can trigger respiratory illnesses such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and dermatitis. High pollen counts have been linked in several studies to increases in asthma emergency-department visits. Children are particularly susceptible to most allergic diseases.
Climate Change and Air Pollution: Interconnected Health Effects
1. ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
When a dome of high atmospheric pressure stalls over an area, it concentrates pollutants close to the ground. High pressure also has been associated with a greater occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia and myocardial infarction, independent of other risk factors.
2. HEAT AND SUNLIGHT
Higher temperatures and ultraviolet radiation interact with precursor pollutants to produce ground-level O3. Exposure to O3 can cause shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, lower respiratory tract infection, decreased lung function, airway injury and inflammation, and premature death. Even small increases in O3 beyond background levels may harm human health. Short-term hikes in O3 concentrations over 1–2 days have been associated with an increase in acute coronary events in middle-aged adults without previously diagnosed heart disease independently of meteorological elements.
Heat stress and higher temperatures can also contribute to greater cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, probably via autonomic changes, dehydration, endothelial cell damage, and increased blood viscosity and platelet and red blood counts.
(Enlarge Image)
3. ANTHROPOGENIC EMISSIONS
Emissions such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds contribute to O3 formation. In addition to causing direct human health effects, many emitted pollutants act as greenhouse gases, while some others, such as sulfur dioxide, have cooling properties.
4. INCREASED PRECIPITATION
Warming temperatures mean air is capable of holding more moisture. Increased atmospheric vapor combined with low pressure can result in more severe storms. Rain is necessary to clear pollutants from the air, but too much rain coming down too fast increases the risk of flooding. When homes are flooded, they are more susceptible to mold outbreaks. Exposure to mold toxins can cause respiratory illnesses.
5. WILDFIRES
Hotter temperatures and drought contribute to increased risk of wildfires. Wildfire smoke contains more than 10,000 substances, which can travel long distances and affect large populations for days to months. Air pollution from wildfires drives up the numbers of hospitalizations and emergency department visits and causes an estimated 339,000 premature deaths per year worldwide.
6. INCREASED HUMIDITY
Hotter, more humid weather tends to irritate airways, making breathing more difficult for many people with asthma and other respiratory ailments. Spikes in temperature and humidity are associated with increased emergency department visits for asthma attacks, especially in children. Such circumstances also are associated with ventricular arrhythmia and myocardial infarction.
7. DROUGHT
Increased evaporation can be a major factor in heat waves and associated forest fires and droughts. WIthout rain, air becomes choked with dust, smoke, and other pollutants that can exacerbate or cause asthma, rhinosinusitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory tract infections.
8. POLLEN
Airborne pollen, mold spores, and dust can trigger respiratory illnesses such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and dermatitis. High pollen counts have been linked in several studies to increases in asthma emergency-department visits. Children are particularly susceptible to most allergic diseases.
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