Health Effects of Ozone and Particle Pollution cont'd

Study upon Study upon Study...
Studies showing the dangers of particle pollution are pouring in by the thousands. More than 2,000 peer-reviewed studies have been published since 1996, when the EPA last reviewed the standards for particle pollution. The new studies validate the research done before 1996-showing the strong relationship between particle pollution, illness, hospitalization and premature death. Most research distinguishes exposure to particle pollution by whether the elevated levels last for a “short term” or a “long term.” Short-term exposure occurs when particle pollution levels are particularly high over a period of a few hours to a few days. Studies of year-round or long-term exposure measure air pollution and health effects over a number of years. Both types of exposure are harmful to your health.

Short-Term Exposure Can Be Deadly
First and foremost, short-term exposure to particle pollution can kill. Those deaths can occur on the very day that particle levels are high, or within one to two months afterwards. Unfortunately, particle pollution does not just make people die a few days earlier than they might otherwise: these are deaths that would not have occurred if the air were cleaner.11 Particle pollution also diminishes lung function, causes greater use of asthma medications and increased rates of school absenteeism, emergency room visits and hospital admissions. Other adverse effects can be coughing, wheezing, cardiac arrhythmias and heart attacks. Take a look at the findings from some of the latest studies:

Short-term increases in particle pollution have been linked to:

• death from respiratory and cardiovascular causes, including strokes;12,13,14
• increased numbers of heart attacks, especially among the elderly and in
  people with heart conditions;15
• inflammation of lung tissue in young, healthy adults;16
• increased hospitalization for cardiovascular disease, including 17,18
• increased emergency room visits for patients suffering from acute respiratory ailments;19
• increased hospitalization for asthma among children; and20,21,22
• increased severity of asthma attacks in children.23

Year-round Exposure

Breathing high levels of particle pollution day in and day out can also be deadly. Chronic exposure to particle pollution can shorten life by one to three years.24 Other impacts range from premature births to serious respiratory disorders-even when the particle levels are very low.

Year-round exposure to particle pollution has also been linked to:

• increased hospitalization for asthma attacks for children living within 200 meters (218 yards) of roads with heavy truck or trailer traffic;25
• slowed lung function growth in children and teenagers; 26,27
• significant damage to the small airways of the lungs;28
• increased risk of dying from lung cancer; and29
• increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.30

Who is at Risk?
Anyone living in an area with a high level of particle pollution is at risk (you can take a look at levels in your state in this report). People at the greatest risk from particle pollution exposure include those with lung disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema; people with sensitive airways, where exposure to particle pollution can cause wheezing, coughing, and respiratory irritation; the elderly; people with heart disease; and children. Newer research has shown that diabetics are also at higher risk from particle pollution.31