Health effects of pollution

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It makes sense that an electric car would lead to less air pollution than a car that burns gasoline. No engine, no combustion byproducts: carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, aldehydes, and so on. When inhaled, these chemicals can lead to high blood pressure, worsen emphysema, and trigger asthma attacks. Air pollution contributes to as many as 200,000 deaths per year in the United States. By some estimates, the health and economic benefits of avoided air pollution on their own are enough to justify the transition to clean energy.

Swapping internal combustion cars and trucks for electric vehicles would lessen these health problems. And according to a new study, it doesn’t even take very many EVs to have a measurable benefit. A study published earlier this month in the journal Science of the Total Environment found that in California, every 20 zero-emissions vehicles per 1,000 people in a given zip code led to a 3.2 percent drop in the rate of emergency room visits due to asthma.

What’s interesting here is that the researchers found this by studying actual air pollution levels and health outcomes rather than using models and simulations. These are not hypothetical benefits in the future; they’re happening now.

California’s EVs are already improving air quality and public health - Vox

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Hundreds of animal species across the globe from ticks to whales have blood contaminated with toxic PFAS, a new analysis of previous peer-reviewed research shows. Though the analysis does not aim to reveal how the exposure to PFAS affects wildlife, anecdotal evidence in some of the previous studies show the chemicals are likely sickening animals. The analysis was compiled by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit that tracks PFAS contamination and developed an interactive map that shows which animal species were studied, where they were analyzed, and the levels and types of PFAS found in their blood.

Researchers have found the chemicals in a range of species such as scorpions, pandas, Siberian tigers, turtles, horses, dogs, plankton, sea lions, wild boar, otters and oysters. The breadth of the contamination is “sobering”, said David Andrews, a senior scientist with the EWG. “It has taken six decades of research on humans to really understand how these chemicals impact our biology in so many different ways … and there’s no reason to believe those same impacts are not also occurring in wildlife,” Andrews said. Alarming levels of PFAS in Norwegian Arctic ice pose new risk to wildlife Read more 

Alarming toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found in animals’ blood – study | PFAS | The Guardian

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Women with higher levels of so-called “forever chemicals” in their blood have a 40% lower chance of becoming pregnant within a year of trying to conceive, according to the first known study on the effect of PFAS on female fertility. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been found in almost everyone tested for them, with 99% of people in the US contaminated. The research was conducted in Singapore, where contamination levels are lower, but the scientists still found a strong correlation with reduced fertility.

‘Forever chemicals’ linked to infertility in women, study shows | PFAS | The Guardian

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A chemicals company is releasing large quantities of a “forever chemical” described as being “very persistent, mobile and toxic” into the River Wyre in Lancashire each year, and is not breaking any rules. Earlier this year, the Guardian and Watershed Investigations revealed that effluent coming from the site of AGC Chemicals Europe in Thornton-Cleveleys could contain about 700 types of perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS is an umbrella term for thousands of human-made substances known as “forever chemicals” because they will not break down in the environment for thousands of years. Some are also known to be toxic and can accumulate in the human body. The Environment Agency has now released its evaluation of a PFAS known as EEA-NH4 that was found in the effluent, and said it was “very persistent” and “mobile” in the environment, as well as “toxic” because it was classified as “reprotoxic category 2”, meaning there was evidence to suggest it could disrupt sexual function, fertility and development in humans.

Firm releases almost 800kg of ‘forever chemical’ a year into Lancashire river | PFAS | The Guardian

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A Harvard study published in Environmental Research Letters in February found that global air pollution from fossil fuels was responsible for one in five deaths worldwide in 2018. That’s about 8 million people, roughly the population of New York City.

AQI: How to use air pollution and wildfire apps in your zip code - Vox

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People exposed to air pollution experienced Covid-19 as if they were 10 years older, according to research. It found people recently exposed to dirtier air before contracting the illness spent four days longer in hospital, the same impact as on those 10 years their senior. The Belgian study also showed that air pollution levels measured in patients’ blood were linked to a 36% increase in the risk of needing intensive care treatment. A separate study in Denmark showed air pollution exposure was linked to a 23% increase in the risk of death from Covid-19. In both studies, the level of air pollution was below legal EU standards. Previous research suggested that air pollution worsened Covid outcomes but, rather than assessing groups of people together, the new studies followed individual patients and therefore give much more confidence in the results.

Air pollution is known to be a major risk factor in aggravating respiratory diseases. It increases inflammation in the lungs and weakens immune defences, and causes pre-existing lung problems that worsen the outcomes of new infections. The new research shows cutting air pollution is a crucial measure for reducing illness and deaths during future outbreaks of respiratory diseases, including the annual flu season. Cleaner air brought health benefits almost as great as some of the medical treatments given to the Covid-19 patients, the research showed. “Reducing air pollution, even when at relatively low levels, increases the health of the population and makes them less susceptible to future pandemics,” said Prof Tim Nawrot, at Hasselt University in Belgium. 

Air pollution ‘aged’ hospital Covid patients by 10 years, study shows | Air pollution | The Guardian

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Researchers investigated the closure of a coal processing plant in 2016. Located on Neville Island in the Ohio River, near Pittsburgh in the US, the site had been used to produce coal-coke for steelmaking for about 100 years. Closure of the plant resulted in an immediate reduction in air pollution for the local communities. Sulphur dioxide decreased by 90%, arsenic by 66% and particle pollution also improved.

There was an immediate 42% decrease in emergency room visits for heart problems and further declines in the three years that followed, until the end of study, showing that the closure led to long-term health improvements. A similar pattern was seen in stroke cases. These changes were not seen in two communities away from the plant that were used as experimental controls.

US coal plant closure emphasises health benefits of cleaner air | Air pollution | The Guardian