The human health effects of air pollutants are hotly debated. Since air pollution is typically a long-term, diffuse problem, it is difficult to link human mortality to any particular air pollutant. Studies of the human health effects of acute chemical spills are much easier.
Several studies have used periods of power-plant outages and shutdowns to ascertain the human health effects of air pollution, by examining whether deaths declined during shutdowns. For instance, fewer hospital admissions for asthma occurred during the reductions in vehicle traffic that were ordered for the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996.
Now, a new study has used similar methods to examine rates of human mortality during the air pollution control measures that were put in place for the 2010 Olympic Games in China. In Guangzhou, deaths from all causes decreased from 32 to 25 during the Olympic Games, compared to similar periods during the years before and after the Olympics.
Cardiovascular death, largely heart attacks, decreased from 11 to 8 during the Olympic Games and reductions were also seen in respiratory ailments. The lower death rates were attributed to lower concentrations of fine particles, known as PM2.5 in the atmosphere.
In the face of similar data reported in several studies in the United States, there seems to be little doubt that fine particulate air pollution, largely from vehicular and agricultural sources, is a human health hazard that must be taken seriously.
**********
Web Links
See Lin et al. 2014. Atmospheric Environment 91:24-31
Photo, posted February 10, 2007, courtesy of Kevin Dooley via Flickr.
.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.