Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A Review
One of our era's greatest scourges is air pollution, on account not only of its impact on climate change but also its impact on public and individual health due to increasing morbidity and mortality. There are many pollutants that are major factors in disease in humans. Among them, Particulate...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00014/full |
| _version_ | 1818159678098505728 |
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| author | Ioannis Manisalidis Ioannis Manisalidis Elisavet Stavropoulou Agathangelos Stavropoulos Eugenia Bezirtzoglou |
| author_facet | Ioannis Manisalidis Ioannis Manisalidis Elisavet Stavropoulou Agathangelos Stavropoulos Eugenia Bezirtzoglou |
| author_sort | Ioannis Manisalidis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | One of our era's greatest scourges is air pollution, on account not only of its impact on climate change but also its impact on public and individual health due to increasing morbidity and mortality. There are many pollutants that are major factors in disease in humans. Among them, Particulate Matter (PM), particles of variable but very small diameter, penetrate the respiratory system via inhalation, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, reproductive and central nervous system dysfunctions, and cancer. Despite the fact that ozone in the stratosphere plays a protective role against ultraviolet irradiation, it is harmful when in high concentration at ground level, also affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular system. Furthermore, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), dioxins, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are all considered air pollutants that are harmful to humans. Carbon monoxide can even provoke direct poisoning when breathed in at high levels. Heavy metals such as lead, when absorbed into the human body, can lead to direct poisoning or chronic intoxication, depending on exposure. Diseases occurring from the aforementioned substances include principally respiratory problems such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, bronchiolitis, and also lung cancer, cardiovascular events, central nervous system dysfunctions, and cutaneous diseases. Last but not least, climate change resulting from environmental pollution affects the geographical distribution of many infectious diseases, as do natural disasters. The only way to tackle this problem is through public awareness coupled with a multidisciplinary approach by scientific experts; national and international organizations must address the emergence of this threat and propose sustainable solutions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T15:49:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6f5d347980fa41689b121c1f533ff926 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T15:49:48Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-6f5d347980fa41689b121c1f533ff9262022-12-22T00:59:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652020-02-01810.3389/fpubh.2020.00014505570Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A ReviewIoannis Manisalidis0Ioannis Manisalidis1Elisavet Stavropoulou2Agathangelos Stavropoulos3Eugenia Bezirtzoglou4Delphis S.A., Kifisia, GreeceLaboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, GreeceCentre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Service de Médicine Interne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandSchool of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United KingdomLaboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, GreeceOne of our era's greatest scourges is air pollution, on account not only of its impact on climate change but also its impact on public and individual health due to increasing morbidity and mortality. There are many pollutants that are major factors in disease in humans. Among them, Particulate Matter (PM), particles of variable but very small diameter, penetrate the respiratory system via inhalation, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, reproductive and central nervous system dysfunctions, and cancer. Despite the fact that ozone in the stratosphere plays a protective role against ultraviolet irradiation, it is harmful when in high concentration at ground level, also affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular system. Furthermore, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), dioxins, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are all considered air pollutants that are harmful to humans. Carbon monoxide can even provoke direct poisoning when breathed in at high levels. Heavy metals such as lead, when absorbed into the human body, can lead to direct poisoning or chronic intoxication, depending on exposure. Diseases occurring from the aforementioned substances include principally respiratory problems such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, bronchiolitis, and also lung cancer, cardiovascular events, central nervous system dysfunctions, and cutaneous diseases. Last but not least, climate change resulting from environmental pollution affects the geographical distribution of many infectious diseases, as do natural disasters. The only way to tackle this problem is through public awareness coupled with a multidisciplinary approach by scientific experts; national and international organizations must address the emergence of this threat and propose sustainable solutions.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00014/fullair pollutionenvironmenthealthpublic healthgas emissionpolicy |
| spellingShingle | Ioannis Manisalidis Ioannis Manisalidis Elisavet Stavropoulou Agathangelos Stavropoulos Eugenia Bezirtzoglou Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A Review Frontiers in Public Health air pollution environment health public health gas emission policy |
| title | Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A Review |
| title_full | Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A Review |
| title_fullStr | Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A Review |
| title_short | Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A Review |
| title_sort | environmental and health impacts of air pollution a review |
| topic | air pollution environment health public health gas emission policy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00014/full |
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