Transcript Air Quality and Health 2008

Mitigating Health Effects of Air Pollutants:
From Community Air Quality Management
to Individual Actions
Michael Brauer
School of Environmental Health
The University of British Columbia
Prince George, BC June 15, 2009
So air pollution is bad….Where do
we go from here?
Community Airshed Management
 Individual actions
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Exposure reduction
 Mitigation of health impacts
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Traffic-related air pollution
 Woodsmoke
 Forest Fires/Open burning
 Point sources
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Early air quality management
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Emission reductions
Tall stacks
Smoke control
Centralized heating
Zoning
False Creek, Vancouver, in 1939 (noon)
Dublin, Ireland
Sale of coal is banned
Effect of Air-Pollution
Control on Death Rates
in Dublin, Ireland
5.7 % decrease in total nontrauma deaths
15.5% decrease in
respiratory deaths
10.3% decrease in
cardiovascular deaths
controlling for temperature,
humidity, day of week,
respiratory epidemics, death
rates in the rest of Ireland
Clancy L, Goodman P, Sinclair H, Dockery D. Effect of air-pollution control on death rates in Dublin, Ireland:
an intervention study. Lancet 2002; 360: 1210–14
“Modern” air quality management
(1980s-1990s+)
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Airshed approach: emphasis on overall
emissions reductions
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Little attention to land use
Regional air quality
Ozone, Acid rain
Focus on motor vehicles as a
proportion of total emissions
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Engine technology
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Catalytic converters, fuel injection
Inspection and maintenance
programs
Fuel quality
Point source emissions controls
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Scrubbers, catalysts, improved
efficiency
Vehicle Emissions trends
U.S. Dept of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. Estimates developed using MOBILE5a, fleet
average, low altitude.
Hong Kong
Cardiorespiratory and all-cause
mortality after restrictions on
sulphur content of fuel in Hong
Kong: an intervention study. Hedley AJ,
et al. Lancet. 2002
Air quality continues to improve, but
still has important health impacts
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Vehicles: steadily increasing V km T, generally
longer commutes
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Post-structural economy – changing patterns
of land use and pollutant emissions
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Trucking, “just-in-time” delivery
Global transportation
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Partially offsetting emissions reductions
Rail, Trucks, Marine emissions, Ports (trucking)
Residential wood combustion
Traffic proximity
Proximity
Emissions
Traffic-related air pollution
A new problem?
 Respiratory disease /
new asthma cases
 Pre-term births,
low birthweight
 Lung Cancer
 Cardiovascular
disease (mortality)
Woodsmoke Mitigation
 Appliance Regulations
 Wood stove/fireplace bans (existing/resale/new
appliances and homes)
 EPA/CSA certified stove sales (BC since 1994)
 Fuel switching
 Burn bans (Seattle, N. California)
 Burning practices (eg. Burn It Smart)
 Stove exchange programs
 Air cleaners
Gram / kg dry fuel burned
Wood-Burning Appliance Emissions
25
Fireplaces and Inserts
20
Woodstoves Furnaces & Pellet
15
10
5
0
Conventional Conventional
Fireplace
Fireplace
(no glass doors) (glass doors)
Fireplace
with glass doors
Further 2 – 5 X
reduction
Conventional Advanced Conventional Conventional
Advanced with
Certified
Central
Technology Furnace/
Wood Pellet
Fireplace Technology Woodstove Woodstove
2-stage Boilers
(insert)
Fireplace (non-air tight)
Woodstove
(air tight)
Stove
combustion
National Emissions Inventory and Projections
Task Group (2002); US EPA (1996)
stoves (Europe)
Fireplace
Insert
Conventional
Woodstove
EPA Certified
Woodstove
Wood Pellets
From air quality management to
healthy urban design
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Health disparities linked to SPATIAL
differences in air pollution within cities
resulting from traffic and other sources
(woodsmoke, point sources)
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Emphasis on “sensitive” land use
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Proximity AND overall level
Schools, long term care facilities
Strategies to separate major roadways from
people
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Road setbacks
Dedicated truck routes
Locations of bike / walking routes
Design of road networks/traffic flows to also consider people, not just
cars
Nethery E, Brauer M. Ministry of Environment. Environmental Best Management Practices for Urban and
Rural Land Development in British Columbia. 2006.
Land use, transport and obesity
Urban sprawl, emissions & ozone
MEASURING SPRAWL AND ITS IMPACT
Reid Ewing, Rutgers University, Rolf Pendall, Cornell University, Don Chen, Smart Growth America
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.com/sprawlindex/MeasuringSprawl.PDF
Healthy neighborhoods – walkability
and air pollution
HIGH walkability / LOW NO / LOW O3
LOW walkability / HIGH NO / HIGH O3
Education and awareness
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AQHI – is this day/hour more polluted
than others?
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Does this matter? For everyone?
What can you do with this
information?
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Timing of Individual activities
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Morning rush hour
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Commuting is a high exposure activity
Winter evening/nighttime woodsmoke
 Summer (late afternoon) smog
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Manage any pre-existing disease
Work with physician
 Medication
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Staying indoors MAY help (air cleaners)
Education and awareness
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Air quality maps – where are the high air
pollution areas?
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We need more of these…
Living in
cities/neighborhoods/locations with
lower air pollution reduces health
impacts…increases life expectancy
Traffic-related air pollution
N
Legend
Freeways
Major Roads
Annual NO (ppb)
0 - 10
10 - 20
20 - 30
30 - 40
40 - 50
50 - 60
60 - 70
70 - 80
80 - 90
90 - 100
Henderson et al. Application of land use regression to estimate ambient concentrations of traffic-related NOX and fine particulate
matter. Environmental Science and Technology. 2007; 41 (7):2422 -2428
Mapping woodsmoke (Smithers)
Average Light
Scattering
Measurements
Average Light
Scattering
Measurements
Residential Areas
Woodstove
Exchanges
Jan – Mar 07
Apr - Jun 07
Jul – Sep 07
Oct – Dec 07
Jan – Mar 08
What can you do with this
information?
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Location matters
Road proximity, low-lying areas
 Planning (“sensitive” land uses)
 Choices…think about air pollution as a
health risk (schools, safety, cost…)
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Indoor protection as a secondary
measure
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HEPA filter air cleaners
www.cyclevancouver.ubc.ca
What can you do with this
information?
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Location matters
Road proximity, low-lying areas
 Planning (“sensitive” land uses)
 Choices…think about air pollution as a
health risk (educational opportunities,
safety, cost…)
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Indoor protection as a secondary
measure
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HEPA filter air cleaners (PM)
Air Cleaners
(Winter, Prince George)
Average 33% (5.8 to 3.9 μg/m3) reduction of indoor PM2.5
Particle infiltration
(Winter, Prince George)
Mean infiltration: 27% no filter, 10% with filter
Infiltration (Finf)
1.20
NO FILTER
FILTER
1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40
0.20
0.00
Home
What else can you do?
Improving general health (diet, exercise,
smoking) reduces likelihood of air
pollution impacts
 Studies suggest increasing intake of
antioxidants (Vitamin C, E) and omega-3
fatty acids (fish oil, flaxseed) reduce
impacts of air pollutants
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