TY - JOUR
T1 - Health benefits of air pollution reduction
AU - on behalf of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies Environmental Committee
AU - Schraufnagel, Dean E.
AU - Balmes, John R.
AU - de Matteis, Sara
AU - Hoffman, Barbara
AU - Kim, Woo Jin
AU - Perez-Padilla, Rogelio
AU - Rice, Mary
AU - Sood, Akshay
AU - Vanker, Aneesa
AU - Wuebbles, Donald J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2019 by the American Thoracic Society
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Air pollution is a grave risk to human health that affects nearly everyone in the world and nearly every organ in the body. Fortunately, it is largely a preventable risk. Reducing pollution at its source can have a rapid and substantial impact on health. Within a few weeks, respiratory and irritation symptoms, such as shortness of breath, cough, phlegm, and sore throat, disappear; school absenteeism, clinic visits, hospitalizations, premature births, cardiovascular illness and death, and all-cause mortality decrease significantly. The interventions are cost-effective. Reducing factors causing air pollution and climate change have strong cobenefits. Although regions with high air pollution have the greatest potential for health benefits, health improvements continue to be associated with pollution decreases even below international standards. The large response to and short time needed for benefits of these interventions emphasize the urgency of improving global air quality and the importance of increasing efforts to reduce pollution at local levels.
AB - Air pollution is a grave risk to human health that affects nearly everyone in the world and nearly every organ in the body. Fortunately, it is largely a preventable risk. Reducing pollution at its source can have a rapid and substantial impact on health. Within a few weeks, respiratory and irritation symptoms, such as shortness of breath, cough, phlegm, and sore throat, disappear; school absenteeism, clinic visits, hospitalizations, premature births, cardiovascular illness and death, and all-cause mortality decrease significantly. The interventions are cost-effective. Reducing factors causing air pollution and climate change have strong cobenefits. Although regions with high air pollution have the greatest potential for health benefits, health improvements continue to be associated with pollution decreases even below international standards. The large response to and short time needed for benefits of these interventions emphasize the urgency of improving global air quality and the importance of increasing efforts to reduce pollution at local levels.
KW - Air pollution
KW - Environmental health
KW - Health risks
KW - Particulate matter
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U2 - 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201907-538CME
DO - 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201907-538CME
M3 - Review article
C2 - 31774324
AN - SCOPUS:85075700987
SN - 2325-6621
VL - 16
SP - 1478
EP - 1487
JO - Annals of the American Thoracic Society
JF - Annals of the American Thoracic Society
IS - 12
ER -