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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about one million infants under five died of lower respiratory tract infections in 2015. Fine dust with particles less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) plays a decisive role. The particles penetrate deep into the airways, where they can cause inflammation in children. In adults, ischemic heart disease (heart attack), cerebrovascular disease (CVA) and lung cancer are included. The average particle concentration in the world has increased from about 40 to 44 micrograms per cubic meter of air between 2000 and 2015. It is more than four times the concentration of 10 micrograms recommended by the As a limit. In addition, the ozone irritant gas contributes to the health effects of the respiratory tract.
The origin of particles differs from one country to another: in India, for example, the burning of solid fuels predominates for cooking and heating, while in the United States United States, power plants, transportation and agriculture are the most important sources. Although polluted indoor air may also pose a major health risk, a new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health on June 29, 2018 reports on the ambient airflow.
Early death resulted in the loss of 122 million years of life
The respective exposure to particles and ozone was determined by authors Jos Lelieveld, Andy Haines and Andrea Pozzer with an established global atmospheric chemistry model. These values were linked to data on population structures as well as diseases and causes of death in each country. In 2015, they received 270,000 premature deaths from ozone and 4.28 million particulate victims worldwide. With a total of over 4.5 million, the team led by Jos Lelieveld again has significantly more premature deaths from particulate matter and ozone than in a similar study in 2015. At that time, the researchers have estimated at 3.3 million premature deaths, The fact that they now get an even more alarming result is justified by more accurate data from epidemiological studies that were now available to them.
The disease that ultimately led to death was inflammation of the airways in 727,000 people, 1.09 million chronic lung diseases, 920,000 cerebrovascular diseases, 1.5 million heart disease and 304,000 cancer. lung. By an untimely death, humanity lost 122 million years of life in 2015 according to these calculations. "The figures obtained are cautiously estimated because we have not taken into account other diseases that could also be related to air pollution," says Jos Lelieveld, director of the company. Max Planck Institute of Chemistry
. increase risk for children
The study focuses on children under five who are particularly sensitive to air pollutants. Calculations showed that in 2015, out of a total of 669 million infants around the world, about 246,000 died of bad air, most (237,000) succumbing to lower respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia. In comparison, 87,000 infants died from HIV / AIDS, 525,000 from diarrhea and 312,000 from malaria in the same year.
An even more dramatic study of how air pollution increases infant mortality is provided by a study presented by Marshall Burke of Stanford University this week in the journal Nature. As a result, infant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa is attributable to 20% of air pollutants. In other words, in 2015, more than 400,000 children in this region died because of air pollution. According to the authors of the Nature Study, pollutants in children cause not only fatal respiratory infections, but also make children seriously ill by other means. Researchers do not know exactly what this additional detrimental effect of air pollution on children is.
The probability of dying from bad breath is particularly high in Africa. Because in low-income countries, curable diseases often cause death because many children are malnourished and medical care is inadequate. In Chad, the risk of infant mortality due to air pollution is almost ten times higher than the world average. Life expectancy also decreases significantly. In sub-Saharan Africa, each child loses an average of four to five years due to polluted ambient air.
"A triple strategy is necessary."
The study also shows that in some low- and middle-income countries, particularly in India and Pakistan, the mortality rate for girls is 1.2 times higher than that of boys. The authors attribute this to differences in diet and medical care. On the other hand, the study shows that in India, infant mortality due to poor air quality decreases, because the state of care, the quality of the Indoor air and nutrition improve.
However, as the quality of outdoor air continues to deteriorate, mortality is shifting to other diseases and the elderly. "To prevent the death of children from air pollution, a triple strategy is needed," says atmospheric researcher Lelieveld: "Sufficient nutrition, improved medical care and better air quality."
Air Pollution: A Modeling Study of Infant Mortality in Middle and Low Income Countries
Jose Lelieveld, Andy Haines, Andrea Pozzer
The Lancet Planetary Health, July 2, 2018; pre-publication June 29, 2018
Contact
Prof. Dr. Jos Lelieveld
Department of Atmospheric Chemistry
Max Planck Institute of Chemistry
Telephone: +49 6131 305-4040
Email: [email protected]
Prof. Dr. Andy Haines
Department of Public Health, Environments and Society
School of Hygiene and Tropical London
Telephone: +44 207 9272-802
E-mail: [email protected]
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