Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A Review

One of our era's greatest scourges is air pollution, on account not only of its impact on climate change but also its impact on public and individual health due to increasing morbidity and mortality. There are many pollutants that are major factors in disease in humans. Among them, Particulate...

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Published in:Frontiers in public health Vol. 8; p. 14
Main Authors: Manisalidis, Ioannis, Stavropoulou, Elisavet, Stavropoulos, Agathangelos, Bezirtzoglou, Eugenia
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 20.02.2020
Subjects:
Air Pollutants - adverse effects
air pollution
Air Pollution - adverse effects
environment
Environmental Exposure - adverse effects
gas emission
health
Humans
Ozone - analysis
Particulate Matter - adverse effects
policy
Public Health
health
environment
air pollution
gas emission
public health
policy
ISSN:2296-2565, 2296-2565
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:One of our era's greatest scourges is air pollution, on account not only of its impact on climate change but also its impact on public and individual health due to increasing morbidity and mortality. There are many pollutants that are major factors in disease in humans. Among them, Particulate Matter (PM), particles of variable but very small diameter, penetrate the respiratory system via inhalation, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, reproductive and central nervous system dysfunctions, and cancer. Despite the fact that ozone in the stratosphere plays a protective role against ultraviolet irradiation, it is harmful when in high concentration at ground level, also affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular system. Furthermore, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), dioxins, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are all considered air pollutants that are harmful to humans. Carbon monoxide can even provoke direct poisoning when breathed in at high levels. Heavy metals such as lead, when absorbed into the human body, can lead to direct poisoning or chronic intoxication, depending on exposure. Diseases occurring from the aforementioned substances include principally respiratory problems such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, bronchiolitis, and also lung cancer, cardiovascular events, central nervous system dysfunctions, and cutaneous diseases. Last but not least, climate change resulting from environmental pollution affects the geographical distribution of many infectious diseases, as do natural disasters. The only way to tackle this problem is through public awareness coupled with a multidisciplinary approach by scientific experts; national and international organizations must address the emergence of this threat and propose sustainable solutions.
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Reviewed by: Fei Li, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, China; M. Jahangir Alam, University of Houston, United States
Edited by: Ethel Eljarrat, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (CSIC), Spain
These authors have contributed equally to this work
This article was submitted to Environmental Health, a section of the journal Frontiers in Public Health
ISSN:2296-2565
2296-2565
DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2020.00014