Air

Globally 6.5 million people will die prematurely this year due to air pollution. The air we breathe kills more people each year than HIV/AIDS, auto accidents, cholera, malaria, and war combined. Since you will breathe your entire life, isn’t it time you pay attention to what you are putting into the one set of lungs you have?

While most contemporary focus is on particulate matter, there are chemicals released into our atmosphere which cannot be ignored. One out of four Americans live within one and a half miles of an oil or gas well. These populations show increased incidences over the statistical norm of breast and prostate cancer as well as asthma. Close to the NY metropolitan region, petrochemical refineries have their own signatures. — Prof. Peter Terezakis

Google Scholar results for air pollution and dementia

Psychological effects from breathing altered air chemistry. We are being gassed by the fossil fuel industry. — Psychological effects from breathing altered air chemistry.

Psychological effects of air pollution

The air we breathe — Air Pollution

Magnettite pollution nanoparticles in the brain — Magnetite pollution nanoparticles (pdf here)

The Effect of Air Pollution on Dementia — Hazed and confused

New Study Links Air Pollution to Dementia

pollution from cars — How much air pollution comes from cars?

This page will be updated regularly with additional resources:

AirNow Visibility Cameras

AirNow Resources and Websites for Teachers and Students Air Quality International Air Quality Flag Program Older Adults and Air Quality

Air Quality Index

BreezoMeter Air Quality IOS

BreezoMeter Air Quality Android

Breeze-O-Meter Air Quality Map Show Pollution in Real-time + apps — Breeze-O-Meter Air Quality Map
Show Pollution in Real-time + apps

Center for Disease Control (CDC): Air Pollutants California Air Resources Board 2018

Mirabelli MC, Boehmer TK, Damon SA, Sircar KD, Wall HK, Yip FY, Zahran HS, Garbe, PL. “Air Quality Awareness Among U.S. Adults With Respiratory and Heart DiseaseExternal.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2018; 54 (5): 679-687.
Mirabelli MC, Damon SA, Beavers SF, Sircar KD. “Patient–Provider Discussions About Strategies to Limit Air Pollution ExposuresExternal.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2018; 55(2): e49-e52.

Vaidyanathan A, Fuyuen Yip F, Garbe P. “Developing an online tool for identifying at-risk populations to wildfire smoke hazardsExternal.” Science of the Total Environment 619–620. 2018:376–383.

2017

Yip F, Christensen B, Sircar K, Naeher L, Bruce N, Pennise D, Lozier M, Pilishvili T, Farrar J, Stanistreet D, Nyagol R, Muoki J, de Beer L, Sage M, Kapil V. “Traditional and Improved Stove Use on Household Air Pollution and Personal Exposures in Rural Western Kenya.External” Environment International. 2017; 99:185–191.

2016

Byers N, Ritchey M, Vaidyanathan A, Brandt A, Yip F. “Short-term effects of ambient air pollutants on asthma-related emergency department visits in Indianapolis, Indiana, 2007-2011.”External J Asthma. 2016; 53:245-252.
Heinzerling A, Hsu J, Yip F. “Respiratory Health Effects of Ultrafine Particles in Children: A Literature Review.” Water Air Soil Pollut. 2016; Epub ahead of print. AbstractExternal
Lozier MJ, Sircar K, Christensen B, Pillarisetti A, Pennise D, Bruce N, Stanistreet D, Naeher L, Pilishvili T, Loo Farrar J, Sage M, Nyagol R, Muoki J, Wofchuck T, Yip F. “Use of Temperature Sensors to Determine Exclusivity of Improved Stove Use and Associated Household Air Pollution Reductions in Kenya.”External Environ Sci Technol. 2016; 50(8):4564-71.
Mirabelli MC, Vaidyanathan A, Flanders WD, Qin X, Garbe P. “Outdoor PM2.5, Ambient Air Temperature, and Asthma Symptoms in the Past 14 Days among Adults with Active Asthma.”External Environ Health Perspect. 2016: Epub ahead of print.

2014

Association of short-term exposure to ground-level ozone and respiratory outpatient clinic visits in a rural location – Sublette County, Wyoming, 2008-2011.External

2013

Residential Proximity to Major Highways — United States, 2010 (MMWR)
Statistical Air Quality Predictions for Public Health Surveillance: Evaluation and Generation of County Level Metrics of PM2.5 for the Environmental Public Health Tracking NetworkExternal (International Journal of Health Geographics)

2012

Obstructive Lung Disease and Exposure to Burning Biomass Fuel in the Indoor EnvironmentExternal (Global Heart)
Winter Temperature Inversions and Emergency Department Visits for Asthma in Salt Lake County, Utah, 2003-2008External (Environmental Health Perspectives)

2011

Effectiveness of Home-Based Multi-Trigger, Multicomponent Interventions with an Environmental Focus for Reducing Asthma Morbidity: A Community Guide Systematic Review — AbstractExternal (American Journal of Preventive Medicine)
Unhealthy Air Quality — United States, 2006–2009 (CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

2010

Public Communication in Unplanned Biomass Burning Events Cdc-pdf[PDF – 175 KB] (Inhalation Toxicology)
Using Logic Models as Iterative Tools for Planning and Evaluating Physical Activity Promotion Programs in Curitiba, BrazilExternal (Journal of Physical Activity and Health)

Earlier

Final Technical Report of the Public Health Investigation to Assess Potential Exposures to Airborne and Settled Surface Dust in Residential Areas of Lower Manhattan

Clean Air and Healthy Lungs: How to Better Tackle Air Pollution – World Bank

Walking and cycling are good for health even in cities with higher levels of air pollution
by University of Cambridge

NEW STUDY LINKS AIR POLLUTION TO LUNG CANCER

The Hidden Impacts of Air Pollution — Impacts of Air Pollution

Increased particulate matter equals increased behavioral problems

Air Pollution Predicts Criminal Activity and Unethical Behavior.

Crime is in the Air:The Contemporaneous Relationship between Air Pollution and Crime

Living near roads and the incidence of dementia, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis — Living near roads and the incidence of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis

Tiny particles of pollution have been discovered inside samples of brain tissue, according to new research. Suspected of toxicity, the particles of iron oxide could conceivably contribute to diseases like Alzheimer's - though evidence for this is lacking. The finding - described as "dreadfully shocking" by the researchers - raises a host of new questions about the health risks of air pollution. Many studies have focused on the impact of dirty air on the lungs and heart. Now this new research provides the first evidence that minute particles of what is called magnetite, which can be derived from pollution, can find their way into the brain. Earlier this year the World Health Organisation warned that air pollution was leading to as many as three million premature deaths every year. Tracing origins The estimate for the UK is that 50,000 people die every year with conditions linked to polluted air. The research was led by scientists at Lancaster University and is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The team analysed samples of brain tissue from 37 people - 29 who had lived and died in Mexico City, a notorious pollution hotspot, and who were aged from 3 to 85. The other 8 came from Manchester, were aged 62-92 and some had died with varying severities of neurodegenerative disease. The lead author of the research paper, Prof Barbara Maher, has previously identified magnetite particles in samples of air gathered beside a busy road in Lancaster and outside a power station. She suspected that similar particles may be found in the brain samples, and that is what happened. "It's dreadfully shocking. When you study the tissue you see the particles distributed between the cells and when you do a magnetic extraction there are millions of particles, millions in a single gram of brain tissue - that's a million opportunities to do damage." Computer artwork showing amyloid plaques (in brown) in the brain which kill surrounding neurons (in blue)Image copyrightALFRED PASIEKA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Image caption A link to Alzheimer's and other diseases is under investigation Further study revealed that the particles have a distinctive shape which provides a crucial clue to their origin. Magnetite can occur naturally in the brain in tiny quantities but the particles formed that way are distinctively jagged. By contrast, the particles found in the study were not only far more numerous but also smooth and rounded - characteristics that can only be created in the high temperatures of a vehicle engine or braking systems. Prof Maher said: "They are spherical shapes and they have little crystallites around their surfaces, and they occur with other metals like platinum which comes from catalytic converters. "So for the first time we saw these pollution particles inside the human brain. "It's a discovery finding. It's a whole new area to investigate to understand if these magnetite particles are causing or accelerating neurodegenerative disease." For every one natural magnetite particle identified, the researchers found about 100 of the pollution-derived ones. The results did not show a straightforward pattern. While the Manchester donors, especially those with neurodegenerative conditions, had elevated levels of magnetite, the same or higher levels were found in the Mexico City victims. The highest level was found in a 32-year-old Mexican man who had been killed in a traffic accident. Disease risk? Dubbed "nanospheres", the particles are less than 200 nanometres in diameter - by comparison, a human hair is at least 50,000 nanometres thick. While large particles of pollution such as soot can be trapped inside the nose, smaller types can enter the lungs and even smaller ones can cross into the bloodstream. But nanoscale particles of magnetite are believed to be small enough to pass from the nose into the olfactory bulb and then via the nervous system into the frontal cortex of the brain. Prof David Allsop, a specialist in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, is a co-author of the study and also at Lancaster University. He said that pollution particles "could be an important risk factor" for these conditions. "There is no absolutely proven link at the moment but there are lots of suggestive observations - other people have found these pollution particles in the middle of the plaques that accumulate in the brain in Alzheimer's disease so they could well be a contributor to plaque formation. "These particles are made out of iron and iron is very reactive so it's almost certainly going to do some damage to the brain. It's involved in producing very reactive molecules called reaction oxygen species which produce oxidative damage and that's very well defined. "We already know oxidative damage contributes to brain damage in Alzheimer's patients so if you've got iron in the brain it's very likely to do some damage. It can't be benign." Other experts in the field are more cautious about a possible link. Dr Clare Walton, research manager at the Alzheimer's Society, said there was no strong evidence that magnetite causes Alzheimer's disease or makes it worse. "This study offers convincing evidence that magnetite from air pollution can get into the brain, but it doesn't tell us what effect this has on brain health or conditions such as Alzheimer's disease," she said. "The causes of dementia are complex and so far there hasn't been enough research to say whether living in cities and polluted areas raises the risk of dementia. Further work in this area is important, but until we have more information people should not be unduly worried." She said that in the meantime more practical ways of lowering the chances of developing dementia including.... — Tiny particles linked to big problems.

Air pollution increases Amyloid Plaque

APOE alleles and their contributions to cognitive impairment