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1

Particulate matter air pollution in an urban area. A case study

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HOLNICKI P., KAŁUSZKO A., STANKIEWICZ K.

Operations Research and Decisions

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2016

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vol. 26

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issue 3

43-56

EN

Many European agglomerations suffer from high concentrations of particulate matter (PM), which is now one of the most detrimental pollutants characterizing the urban atmospheric environment. This paper addresses the problem of PM10 pollution in the Warsaw metropolitan area, including very harmful fine fractions (PM2.5), and also some heavy metals. The analysis of air quality in the Warsaw agglom-eration discussed in this study is based on results from computer modeling presented elsewhere, and refers to emission and meteorological data for the year 2012. The range of emissions considered in this analysis includes the main sectors of municipal activity: energy generation, industry, urban transport, residential sector. The trans-boundary inflow of the main pollutants coming from distant sources is also taken into account. The regional scale computer model CALPUFF was used to assess the annual mean concentrations of major pollutants in the urban area. The results show the regions where the air quality limits are exceeded and indicate the dominant sources of emission which are responsible for these vio-lations (source apportionment). These are the key data required to implement efficient regulatory ac-tions.

2

The Role of the University in Environmental Education. The Problem of Particulate Pollution in Poland

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Ciepiela M., Sobczyk W.

Journal of Education, Technology and Computer Science

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2021

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vol. 12

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issue 2(32)

203-209

EN

University didactics determines the individual’s place in the educational process as well as provides for a multidirectional continuing education which environmental protection is an important point. This discipline perfectly combines methods of working and scientific research. This paper describes particulates which are produced naturally and by anthropogenic sources. The influence of fossil fuel combustion on atmosphere conditions in a large urban agglomeration is shown. I discuss the causes of the high concentration of particulate matter pollution in Poland, which is tied to city planning and the development of the energy industry as well as the municipal and residential sector. The effects of introducing a ban on burning solid fuels in Krakow are reported.

3

Occupational exposure to particulate matter in 2 Portuguese waste-sorting units

88%

Viegas S., Almeida-Silva M., Viegas C.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2014

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vol. 27

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issue 5

854-862

EN

Objectives: This study intended to characterize work environment contamination by particles in 2 waste-sorting plants. Material and Methods: Particles were measured by portable direct-reading equipment. Besides mass concentration in different sizes, data related with the number of particles concentration were also obtained. Results: Both sorting units showed the same distribution concerning the 2 exposure metrics: particulate matter 5 (PM₅) and particulate matter 10 (PM₁₀) reached the highest levels and 0.3 μm was the fraction with a higher number of particles. Unit B showed higher (p < 0.05) levels for both exposure metrics. For instance, in unit B the PM₁₀ size is 9-fold higher than in unit A. In unit A, particulate matter values obtained in pre-sorting and in the sequential sorting cabinet were higher without ventilation working. Conclusions: Workers from both waste-sorting plants are exposed to particles. Particle counting provided additional information that is of extreme value for analyzing the health effects of particles since higher values of particles concentration were obtained in the smallest fraction.

4

Ochrona powietrza przed zanieczyszczeniami – dotychczasowe działania nie dają pożądanej poprawy

75%

Gorczyca M.

Kontrola Państwowa

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2019

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vol. 64

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issue 2 (385)

123-138

EN

The article presents the findings of the audit related to prevention of water pollution with nitrate compounds coming from farms. The audit was conducted at the initiative of NIK and was a continuation of NIK’s attempts to assess the extent to which Poland complied with the obligations related to environmental protection, stemming from our accession to the European Union. The audit was dedicated to such issues as, among others, mapping waters that are sensitive to pollution with nitrate compounds coming from farms, and the areas that are most threatened with this risk; the programmes aimed at limiting the outflow of nitrate compounds from farming – with regard to their contents and implementation; the supervision and control over the activities related to preventing waters form pollution with nitrates and their effectiveness; as well as the measures aimed at providing financial support to farms for having them comply with the requirements of the nitrate directive.

5

Short-term health effects of air quality changes during the COVID‑19 pandemic in the City of Novi Sad, the Republic of Serbia

75%

Dragic N., Bijelovic S., Jevtic M., Velicki R., Radic I.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2021

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vol. 34

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issue 2

223-237

EN

ObjectivesThe objective of this research is to determine the change in outdoor air quality during the COVID‑19 related state of emergency resulting in a lockdown and the potential health benefits for the urban population.Material and MethodsDuring 53 days of the COVID‑19 related state of emergency with a lockdown (March 15–May 6, 2020) in the Republic of Serbia, as well as in the corresponding periods of 2018 and 2019, data on the daily sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ground-level ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations were analyzed. The total mortality data were analyzed to estimate the impact of the COVID‑19 related lockdown measures on the burden of health in a given population, attributed to the outdoor air quality in the City of Novi Sad, using AirQ+ software.ResultsThe average daily concentrations of PM2.5, NO2, PM10 and SO2 were reduced by 35%, 34%, 23% and 18%, respectively. In contrast, the average daily concentration of O3 increased by 8%, even if the primary precursors were reducing, thus representing a challenge for air quality management. In the City of Novi Sad, a reduction in the average daily PM2.5 concentration of 11.23 μg/m³ was significant, which resulted in a quantified number of avoided deaths.ConclusionsAir pollution in the City of Novi Sad had a chance to be improved due to some preventive measures related to the infectious disease (the COVID‑19 related lockdown), which in turn was the mitigation measure to air pollution with positive public health effects. The confirmed positive effects of the improved air quality on public health could also include raising collective resistance to mass non-communicable and infectious diseases such as COVID‑19 and reducing economic costs.

6

The effect of upper respiratory allergy on acute respiratory response to ambient air pollution during physical exercise

75%

Kocot K.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2020

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vol. 33

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issue 5

649-660

EN

ObjectivesAmbient air pollution is related to adverse respiratory effects. Because of a popular habit of recreational physical activity, the effects of exposure to increased levels of air pollution attract increasing attention. It remains unclear whether the allergy status has an impact on acute responses to air pollution exposure during brief exercise in young adults. The aim of the study was to determine if acute respiratory responses to ambient air pollution during physical exercise differ between young subjects with and without a history of upper respiratory allergy.Material and MethodsOverall, 41 young males with (N = 15, 36.6%) and without allergy (N = 26, 63.4%) performed short moderate-intensive cycle-ergometer sessions in winter air pollution exposure conditions. Associations were analyzed between environmental conditions and acute physiological changes in spirometry, fractioned exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels, blood pressure and pulse oximetry.ResultsNo associations between air pollution concentrations and changes in forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s and the Tiffeneau index were found. In the subjects without allergy, the increased air pollution concentrations recorded during exercise were associated with a post-exercise increase/a smaller decrease in FeNO (SO2: Spearman’s ρ = 0.44, NOx: ρ = 0.51, and particulate matter [PM] levels – PM10: ρ = 0.51, PM2.5: ρ = 0.52). This effect was not observed in the subjects with allergy.ConclusionsUpper-respiratory allergy may be a modifying factor in human response to air pollution during exercise. Exposure to air pollution during brief moderate-intensive exercise did not have any acute negative impact on respiratory and cardiovascular function in young males. However, in the case of FeNO, subclinical post-exercise changes related to air pollution were observed in volunteers without allergy.

7

Authors’ response (March 5, 2019) to the letter to the Editor concerning the paper “Impact of air pollution on depression and suicide”

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Gładka A., Rymaszewska J., Zatoński T.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2019

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vol. 32

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issue 3

415-416

8

The health impact of Saharan dust exposure

75%

Kotsyfakis M., Zarogiannis S. G., Patelarou E.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2019

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vol. 32

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issue 6

749-760

EN

Air pollution is a high priority global health concern. The health damaging effects of ambient particulate matter (PM), a component of air pollution, are extensively documented, with 1.4% of deaths worldwide resulting from exposure to PM. A growing body of evidence suggests that mineral dust, found in PM, may contribute to some of these deleterious health impacts. Approximately half of atmospheric mineral dust originates from the Sahara Desert. This systematic but concise review summarizes the findings from recent literature exploring the adverse health effects of Saharan dust particles worldwide. The authors have shown that 1) PM contributes to all-cause and cause-specific mortality and morbidity; 2) the PM arising from Saharan dust contributes to excess all-cause and cause-specific mortality and morbidity; and 3) larger particle sizes may be more harmful than smaller particle sizes. However, there remain many questions regarding their effects on vulnerable patient populations, underlying mechanisms of action, and regional variations in both environmental and health effects. This review highlights the urgent need for continued and deeper analyses of this emerging public health issue. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(6):749–60

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Consideration on the health risk reduction related to attainment of the new particulate matter standards in Poland: A top-down policy risk assessment approach

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Kobza J., Pastuszka J. S., Gulis G.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2015

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vol. 29

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issue 1

1-14

EN

Policies can influence health of a population in various ways. Numerous epidemiological studies supported by toxicological investigations demonstrate a positive association between ambient concentrations of airborne particulate matter and increased adverse cardio-respiratory events, including morbidity and mortality. The aim of this paper was to present the concept of the top-down health policy risk assessment approach model developed to estimate the expected health risk reduction associated with policy aiming at attaining the new particulate matter ≤ 10 μm in diameter (PM 10) standards in Poland. The top-down approach guides the analysis of causal chains from the policy to health outcomes. In this case study we tried to estimate the predicted health effects of the policy change over the past 20 years. Since Polish annual standard for PM 10 changed from 50 μg/m³ in 1990 to 40 μg/m³ in 2010, we calculated the relative risk associated with decreasing PM 10 in diameter to 10 μg/m³ in the annual level of PM 10 for 6 adverse health effects. The relative risk slightly decreased for almost all adverse health effects, which means that the relative decrease in the incidence of health effects from the baseline incidence should range from about 0.5–0.6% for heart disease admissions to > 1% for respiratory admissions. The obtained results indicate that implementation of the new ambient air standards could influence improvement of the health status of Polish population. A top-down policy health risk assessment model can be one of the main tools in this process, providing harmonized guidance how to seek evidence-based information, which could serve policy-makers.

10

Outdoor particulate matter (PM) and associated cardiovascular diseases in the Middle East

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Nasser Z., Salameh P., Nasser W., Abou Abbas L., Elias E., Leveque A.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2015

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vol. 28

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issue 4

641-661

EN

Air pollution is a widespread environmental concern. Considerable epidemiological evidence indicates air pollution, particularly particulate matter (PM), as a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the developed countries. The main objective of our review is to assess the levels and sources of PM across the Middle East area and to search evidence for the relationship between PM exposure and CVD. An extensive review of the published literature pertaining to the subject (2000–2013) was conducted using PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar databases. We reveal that low utilization of public transport, ageing vehicle fleet and the increasing number of personal cars in the developing countries all contribute to the traffic congestion and aggravate the pollution problem. The annual average values of PM pollutants in the Middle East region are much higher than the World Health Organization 2006 guidelines (PM2.5 = 10 μg/m³, PM10 = 20 μg/m³). We uncover evidence on the association between PM and CVD in 4 Middle East countries: Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The findings are in light of the international figures. Ambient PM pollution is considered a potential risk factor for platelet activation and atherosclerosis and has been found to be linked with an increased risk for mortality and hospital admissions due to CVD. This review highlights the importance of developing a strategy to improve air quality and reduce outdoor air pollution in the developing countries, particularly in the Middle East. Future studies should weigh the potential impact of PM on the overall burden of cardiac diseases.

11

The economic burden of air pollution impact on health of Warsaw population

63%

Jakubiak-Lasocka J., Lasocki J., Chłopek Z., Siekmeier R.

Economic and Environmental Studies

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2014

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vol. 14

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issue 3(31)

265-282

EN

Aim of this study was to assess the annual social cost of air pollution impact on health of Warsaw population. The study consisted of three main parts, i.e. the determination of Warsaw citizens’ exposure to air pollution, the quantification of the health effect as a result of this exposure and the economic evaluation of the assessed health impact. Value of Statistical Life (VSL) derived from Willingness To Pay (WTP) for mortality risk reduction was used to assess the costs of premature mortality, whereas the Cost of Illness (COI) Approach was applied for the estimation of the costs of excessive cardiovascular and respiratory hospitalizations as well as restricted activity days. Thorough search was performed to find the best assessment of VSL for the Warsaw population and finally the value of 1.9 Mio PLN was chosen. Annually, approximately 2 264 premature death cases, 351 839 restricted activity days, 684 and 1 551 excessive hospital admissions due to (respectively) respiratory and cardiovascular problems can be attributed to air pollution. The total costs of air pollution health effects in Warsaw amount to about 4,4 Bn PLN. The cost of air pollution impact on human health is significant. Therefore, more attention should be paid for the integrated environmental health policy, with a focus on cities as a priority.

PL

Celem pracy jest oszacowanie rocznego kosztu wpływu zanieczyszczenia powietrza na zdrowie mieszkańców Warszawy z perspektywy społecznej. Badanie składa się z trzech części: określenia ekspozycji mieszkańców Warszawy na zanieczyszczenie powietrza, kwantyfikacji wynikających z niej skutków zdrowotnych oraz oszacowania ich kosztu. Do wyznaczenia kosztu przedwczesnego zgonu wykorzystano metodę Wyceny Statystycznego Życia (ang. Value of Statistical Life, VSL) opartą na skłonności do płacenia (ang. Willingness To Pay, WTP) za obniżenie ryzyka zgonu. Do wyceny kosztu hospitalizacji z powodu chorób naczyniowo-sercowych i układu oddechowego, a także dni ograniczonej aktywności (ang. restricted activity days), zastosowano podejście Kosztu Choroby (ang. Cost of Illness Approach, COI). Na podstawie analizy wyników dotychczasowych badań przyjęto dla mieszkańców Warszawy wartość VSL na poziomie 1,9 mln PLN. Przeprowadzone obliczenia pozwoliły stwierdzić, że w ciągu roku w Warszawie zanieczyszczenie powietrza stanowi przyczynę około 2264 przedwczesnych zgonów, 351839 dni ograniczonej aktywności, a także 684 i 1551 dodatkowych hospitalizacji z powodu (odpowiednio) chorób układu oddechowego oraz chorób sercowo-naczyniowych. Całkowity koszt negatywnych skutków zanieczyszczenia powietrza w Warszawie oszacowano na około 4,4 mld PLN. Koszt ten jest wysoki, dlatego więcej uwagi powinno się poświęcić zintegrowanej polityce środowiskowej, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem zdrowia mieszkańców miast.

Refine search results

Particulate matter air pollution in an urban area. A case study

The Role of the University in Environmental Education. The Problem of Particulate Pollution in Poland

Occupational exposure to particulate matter in 2 Portuguese waste-sorting units

Ochrona powietrza przed zanieczyszczeniami – dotychczasowe działania nie dają pożądanej poprawy

Short-term health effects of air quality changes during the COVID‑19 pandemic in the City of Novi Sad, the Republic of Serbia

The effect of upper respiratory allergy on acute respiratory response to ambient air pollution during physical exercise

Authors’ response (March 5, 2019) to the letter to the Editor concerning the paper “Impact of air pollution on depression and suicide”

The health impact of Saharan dust exposure

Consideration on the health risk reduction related to attainment of the new particulate matter standards in Poland: A top-down policy risk assessment approach

Outdoor particulate matter (PM) and associated cardiovascular diseases in the Middle East

The economic burden of air pollution impact on health of Warsaw population