Air Pollution News and Research

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Smoking, diets rich in animal products, alcohol have correlations with cancer incidence rates, says study

A multicountry study just published in Nutrients finds that smoking, diets rich in animal products, and alcohol have the strongest correlations with cancer incidence rates. The cancer incidence rates are from 2008 as assembled by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization.

28 Dec 2013

Laser measurements show pollen has major influence on air quality

Leipzig, Germany. Pollen reflects more sunlight than previously known, and makes up to one third of the total amount of aerosol particles in the atmosphere. Aerosol particles influence optical depth which provides a measure of the opacity of the atmosphere.

19 Dec 2013

Study identifies atrial fibrillation as a growing and serious global health problem

Atrial fibrillation, long considered the most common condition leading to an irregular heartbeat, is a growing and serious global health problem, according to the first study ever to estimate the condition's worldwide prevalence, death rates and societal costs.

18 Dec 2013

Blending more ethanol into fuel to reduce air pollution carries hidden risk

Blending more ethanol into fuel to cut air pollution from vehicles carries a hidden risk that toxic or even explosive gases may find their way into buildings, according to researchers at Rice University.

15 Dec 2013

Findings support health impact assessments of fine particles in Europe

Prolonged exposure to tiny particles of soot or dust found in traffic fumes and industrial emissions may be more deadly below current European Union air quality limits than previously thought, according to new research examining two decades of data from over 360 000 residents of large cities in 13 European countries.

9 Dec 2013

Children with higher parental stress gain more weight

Parental stress is linked to weight gain in children, according to a new study from St. Michael's Hospital. The study found that children whose parents have high levels of stress have a Body Mass Index, or BMI, about 2 per cent higher than those whose parents have low levels of stress. Children with higher parental stress also gained weight at a 7 per cent higher rate during the study period than other children.

8 Dec 2013

Occupational air pollution tied to COPD mortality

People who are exposed to vapors, gases, dust, or fumes in the course of their work are at increased risk for dying from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a large population study reveals.

4 Dec 2013

New study examines gender differences in prevalence and pathophysiology of COPD

A new study review authored by the University of Kentucky's Dr. David Mannino examines the gender differences in the prevalence, pathophysiology, and clinical presentation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and how this information may ultimately be used to identify areas for future work.

4 Dec 2013

USC scientists show gene-environment interaction augments risk for developing autism

Exposure to air pollution appears to increase the risk for autism among people who carry a genetic disposition for the neurodevelopmental disorder, according to newly published research led by scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

2 Dec 2013

Air quality forecast play an increasing role in mitigating health risk

As the link between air pollution and several illnesses has been established, air quality forecast will play an increasing role in mitigating health risk.

22 Nov 2013

New paper highlights correlations between changes in natural systems and potential health outcomes

A new paper from members of the HEAL (Health & Ecosystems: Analysis of Linkages) consortium delineates a new branch of environmental health that focuses on the public health risks of human-caused changes to Earth's natural systems.

20 Nov 2013

Air pollution link to early childhood pneumonia

European research shows that exposure to elevated levels of air pollutants is associated with an increased risk for pneumonia before the age of 3 years, and particularly in the first year of life.

18 Nov 2013

Residents of major cities with high pollution levels have increased risk of dry eye syndrome

Residents of major cities with high levels of air pollution have an increased risk of dry eye syndrome, according to a study presented at the world's largest ophthalmic conference, the 117th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, in New Orleans.

17 Nov 2013

Carcinogens detected in emissions downwind of 'Industrial Heartland'

Levels of contaminants higher than in some of the world's most polluted cities have been found downwind of Canada's largest oil, gas and tar sands processing zone, in a rural area where men suffer elevated rates of cancers linked to such chemicals.

23 Oct 2013

Air pollution hampers fetal growth

Exposure to common air pollutants and traffic during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of restricted fetal growth, even at levels well below those stipulated in current European Union (EU) air-quality directives, according to one of the largest studies of its kind, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

17 Oct 2013

Contaminated drinking water breeds low-weight or premature babies

Pregnant women living in areas with contaminated drinking water may be more likely to have babies that are premature or with low birth weights (considered less than 5.5 pounds), according to a study based at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

9 Oct 2013

Study finds association between heart failure and air pollution

Air pollution increases heart attacks, according to research presented at the Acute Cardiac Care Congress 2013 by Dr Savina Nodari from Brescia, Italy.

7 Oct 2013

Physical and psychosocial stressors during fetal development magnifies effect of exposure

Maternal psychological distress combined with exposure to air pollution during pregnancy have an adverse impact on the child's behavioral development, according to researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health.

7 Oct 2013

Protein linked with asthma severity in children with high diesel exposure

A new study shows that exposure to diesel exhaust particles from traffic pollution leads to increased asthma severity in children. Moreover, the study finds that this is due to increased blood levels of IL-17A, a protein associated with several chronic inflammatory diseases, in children with high diesel exposure.

24 Sep 2013

Asthma experts united to tackle Europe's high asthma prevalence and death rates

Asthma experts from across Europe are uniting as part of a new partnership launched this week to tackle Europe's high asthma prevalence and death rates.

12 Sep 2013