Health-related indicators of outdoor air quality

Abstract

Episodes of air pollution such as in London in 1952 have killed thousands of inhabitants of urban or industrialized regions in a matter of days. Epidemiologists demonstrate that current much lower levels of air pollution also increase hospital admissions and daily mortality in individuals with pre-existent cardiopulmonary disease. For some gas phase components, such as carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide, the etiology is well understood. For particles it is still unclear which size fractions and which components explain the observed health effects. There are some indications that traffic-related ultrafine particles are both linked to acute effects (cardiac dysrhythmias, respiratory complaints) and also increase the risk of chronic disease (lung cancer). Some specific gas phase compounds and indicators of particulate air pollution are useful environmental health indicators that could be used to reduce the impact of air pollution on short-term and long-term health effects.