News Items

News Item - May 2005

"Serious health effects of particulate air pollution "

Two recently published studies in Boston USA highlight the dramatic effect that short term exposure to particulate air pollution may have on people with cardiovascular problems. Particulates studied, range in size from PM10 to PM2.5 (< 10 micron and < 2.5 micron) Such particulates are mainly associated with vehicle emissions.

The effect of air pollution in the European Union has also recently been estimated to reduce life expectancy of the average European by 8.6 months and cost 161 billion euros.

Whilst in Canada it is conservatively estimated that 5,900 Canadians die annually as a result of "short term exposure" to air pollution.

In Australia the Dr Tom Beer from CSIRO Atmospheric Research, found that "Mortality due to air pollution in Australia is higher than the road toll. Each year on average, 2400 of the 140,000 Australians deaths are linked to air quality and health issues - much more than the 1700 people who die on our roads. That's an average of a death every four hours. This number increases if long-term effects of air toxics on cancer are included."

• Read the abstract:
  Particulate Air Pollution and the Rate of Hospitalization for Congestive Heart Failure among Medicare Beneficiaries in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania  pub. June 2005.
  
  
• Read the abstract:
  Association of Air Pollution with Increased Incidence of Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias Recorded by Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillators
  pub. May 2005.
  
  
• Read the European Union item.  pub. April 2005.
  
  
• Read the Health Canada study   pub. April 2005.
  
  
• Read the CSIRO press release  pub. Mar 2004.