Haneen Khreis1,2,3,4,5, Marta Cirach2,3,4, Natalie Mueller2,3,4, Kees de Hoogh6,7, Gerard Hoek8, Mark J Nieuwenhuijsen2,3,4, David Rojas-Rueda2,3,9,5. 1. Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health (CARTEEH), Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), College Station, TX, USA h-khreis@tti.tamu.edu. 2. ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain. 3. Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain. 4. CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain. 5. These authors are joint lead authors of the study. 6. Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland. 7. University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 8. Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. 9. Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that air pollution may contribute to childhood asthma development. We estimated the burden of incident childhood asthma that may be attributable to outdoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter ≤2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) in Europe. METHODS: We combined country-level childhood incidence rates and pooled exposure-response functions with childhood (age 1-14 years) population counts, and exposure estimates at 1 540 386 1 km×1 km cells, across 18 European countries and 63 442 419 children. Annual average pollutant concentrations were obtained from a validated and harmonised European land-use regression model. We investigated two exposure reduction scenarios. For the first, we used recommended annual World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guideline values. For the second, we used the minimum air pollution levels recorded across 41 studies in the underlying meta-analysis. RESULTS: NO2 ranged from 1.4 to 70.0 µg·m-3, with a mean of 11.8 µg·m-3. PM2.5 ranged from 2.0 to 41.1 µg·m-3, with a mean of 11.6 µg·m-3. BC ranged from 0.003 to 3.7×10-5 m-1, with a mean of 1.0×10-5 m-1. Compliance with the NO2 and PM2.5 WHO guidelines was estimated to prevent 2434 (0.4%) and 66 567 (11%) incident cases, respectively. Meeting the minimum air pollution levels for NO2 (1.5 µg·m-3), PM2.5 (0.4 µg·m-3) and BC (0.4×10-5 m-1) was estimated to prevent 135 257 (23%), 191 883 (33%) and 89 191 (15%) incident cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of childhood asthma cases may be attributable to outdoor air pollution and these cases could be prevented. Our estimates underline an urgent need to reduce children's exposure to air pollution.
BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that air pollution may contribute to childhood asthma development. We estimated the burden of incident childhood asthma that may be attributable to outdoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter ≤2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) in Europe. METHODS: We combined country-level childhood incidence rates and pooled exposure-response functions with childhood (age 1-14 years) population counts, and exposure estimates at 1 540 386 1 km×1 km cells, across 18 European countries and 63 442 419 children. Annual average pollutant concentrations were obtained from a validated and harmonised European land-use regression model. We investigated two exposure reduction scenarios. For the first, we used recommended annual World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guideline values. For the second, we used the minimum air pollution levels recorded across 41 studies in the underlying meta-analysis. RESULTS:NO2 ranged from 1.4 to 70.0 µg·m-3, with a mean of 11.8 µg·m-3. PM2.5 ranged from 2.0 to 41.1 µg·m-3, with a mean of 11.6 µg·m-3. BC ranged from 0.003 to 3.7×10-5 m-1, with a mean of 1.0×10-5 m-1. Compliance with the NO2 and PM2.5 WHO guidelines was estimated to prevent 2434 (0.4%) and 66 567 (11%) incident cases, respectively. Meeting the minimum air pollution levels for NO2 (1.5 µg·m-3), PM2.5 (0.4 µg·m-3) and BC (0.4×10-5 m-1) was estimated to prevent 135 257 (23%), 191 883 (33%) and 89 191 (15%) incident cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of childhood asthma cases may be attributable to outdoor air pollution and these cases could be prevented. Our estimates underline an urgent need to reduce children's exposure to air pollution.
Authors: Mika Kivimäki; G David Batty; Jaana Pentti; Solja T Nyberg; Joni V Lindbohm; Jenni Ervasti; Carlos Gonzales-Inca; Sakari B Suominen; Sari Stenholm; Pyry N Sipilä; Payam Dadvand; Jussi Vahtera Journal: Lancet Public Health Date: 2021-06
Authors: Heidi Andersén; Pinja Ilmarinen; Jasmin Honkamäki; Leena E Tuomisto; Hanna Hisinger-Mölkänen; Helena Backman; Bo Lundbäck; Eva Rönmark; Lauri Lehtimäki; Anssi Sovijärvi; Päivi Piirilä; Hannu Kankaanranta Journal: J Asthma Allergy Date: 2021-09-07