Environmental Epidemiology: Health Effects of Air Pollution Review

This report examines the impact of air pollution on human health, fulfilling an assignment for an Environmental Epidemiology course. It addresses the research question: what is the impact of air pollution on human health? The report includes a literature review, summarizing findings from various studies that link air pollution to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular issues, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. It identifies gaps in the existing research, such as the need for more studies on the socioeconomic factors influencing health outcomes related to air pollution and the impact of pre-existing conditions on susceptibility to air pollution's effects. The report concludes that air pollution has significant adverse effects on human health, emphasizing the importance of pollution control measures to mitigate these impacts.

Running Head: AIR POLLUTION ON HEALTH 1
The Effects of Air Pollution on Health
Name
Institution

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Introduction
Pollution is a global challenge affecting every organization across all industries. With the
technological advancement of the business environment, there are calls for policy making
strategies that aim at preventing any form of pollution from affecting the environment. There are
different forms of pollution. However, this paper will focus on air pollution. Air pollution, like
other forms of pollution, has adverse effects on the environment which in return impacts
negatively on the wellbeing of the plants and animals in that particular environment (Andini,
Bonnet, Rousset & Hasanudin, 2018).
Air pollution comes in various forms, but all with the same outcome with is often the
introduction of impurities in the air within the atmosphere (Fotev, Adzic & Milivojevic, 2017).
The introduction of pollutants in the air that human and animals’ breath is connected to some
health complications that arise as a result of exposure to such a polluted environment. The health
complications might include difficulty in breathing while taking part in outdoor activities
(Geramitchioski, Mijakovski & Mitrevski, 2017). More often, the level of health impact that air
pollution has on one’s health depends on the level and duration of exposure to the polluted air.
Taking into consideration today’s’ theme: Air Pollution in a changing world, my presentation
today seeks to highlight some of the most common health effects of air pollution (Neacşu &
Neguriţă, 2010). To adequately identify the health effects, the paper will make use of the
research question; what is the impact of air pollution on human health?
Literature review
Various scholars have through their weight into the study of the effects of air pollution on
human health. Some of the conclusions that the studies have come up with include immediate

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health problems such as respiratory illness, stress to the heart and lungs and damage to the cells
in the human respiratory system as pointed out by Kandlikar and Ramachandran (2012). It has
also been found out that continuous exposure to polluted air over long duration accelerates aging
of lungs and decreases the functioning of the lungs. Diseases such as bronchitis, asthma,
emphysema and even cancer have been linked to air pollution by some studies. While polluted
air is dangerous for all human being, the following categories of people are most susceptible
(Delfino, Staimer & Tjoa, 2011). Pregnant women, children below fourteen years of age, outdoor
workers, athletes who frequently exercise vigorously outdoors, people with lung decreases and
people with heart diseases. However, it is vital to note that other groups of people not mentioned
are also at risk. The difference is only the level of exposure to the polluted air, but that does not
mean that anybody is safe in an environment with polluted air.
A study conducted by Yang & Liu (2018) on the effects of air pollution on public health
in China supports the hypothesis that air pollution has adverse effects on human health. The
study focused on the relationship between air pollution and health with a focus on socioeconomic
factors. The research further made use of regression analysis to determine the relationship.
Empirical evidence from the study indicated that air pollution was negatively impacting on the
health of the people. The results of the impacts come in a wide range of health complications
mostly relates to the respiratory system. Since the study made consideration of the both the rural
and the urban populations, it was found out that the health effects of pollution were more severe
in rural China than it was in the urban areas of China. Additionally, the outcome of the study also
pointed out that the degree of health effects that air pollution has oh human vary from one group
of people to another. Even though this study met its objectives, it brought about a new possible
debate. The study is silent on the possible reasons as to why the health effects of air pollution are

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more evident in rural areas than in urban areas. A gap, therefore, exists on the relationship
between health effects on air pollution and social status in China.
Another study on the physiological effects on air pollution on mentally challenged
children was conducted by Dales & Cakmak (2016) sort to investigate the connection between
mental illness, air pollution and physical illness concerning pulmonary and cardiovascular
diseases. The research population was composed of 1883 children of ages seventeen years and
bellow. The study was conducted in Canada between the years 2007 and 2009. It was found out
that children with mental disorder and who are also exposed to air pollution had higher chances
of developing cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases than their counterparts with minimal or no
exposure to polluted air. In this study, it is evident that air pollution is a crucial factor and a vital
element for consideration in the maters of respiratory diseases not only among the mentally ill
but also among the other groups of people in the society. Even though this study met its
objectives, it is questionable the conditions under which that mentally ill children were before
the research. Some of the respiratory effects might have come about as a result of habits such as
smoking which accelerates the development of respiratory disorders. While polluted air is no
doubt a contributing factor to the development of respiratory disorders, drug abuse through
smoking tobacco of also has the same results. Furthermore, prolonged abuse of drugs like bang
may lead to both mental disease and a respiratory complication.
In another study, Klepac, Locatelli, Korošec, Künzli, and Kukec (2018) goes ahead to
determine the effects of air pollution on pregnancy outcomes. The researchers make a connection
between air pollution and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as delivery of underweight babies
and premature babies. Statistical analysis was employed in making conclusions on the effects of
ambient air pollutants on the pregnancy outs comes taking into consideration the different

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trimesters of the gestation periods within which the population was more exposed to polluted air.
The outcome of the study indicated that women who are exposed to polluted air during the first
and the second trimesters of the gestation period are more likely to give birth to children with
complications. The intensity of the impact of air pollution on pregnancy among human being is,
therefore, dependant on the exposure levels to the polluted air and the time of the pregnancy
within which the exposure happens. The research, however, ignored the possibility of the
outcomes resulting from other factors such as the health conditions of the mother and habits of
the mother during the pregnancy. Medical studies have it that smocking and consumption of
alcohol or ingestion of some drugs during pregnancy might also result in children born
prematurely or underweight among other complications. The study should have included these
factors to improve the accuracy of the research.
Conclusion
The above studies are but an example of the research that has been conducted in line with
air pollution and human health. More studies exist. However, the majority of them emphasize the
adverse effects of air pollution on human health. It is therefore right to conclude that Air
pollution has adverse effects on human health. Air pollution is majorly caused by industrial
activities which are economical. According to the Routine Assessment of Health Impacts of
Local Transportation Plans (2019), the economic activities that cause air pollution are a source of
livelihood to many families and even a source of income to governments. Control of air
pollution is lately a worldwide debate with recommendations of licensing and purification of
effluents before releasing to the atmosphere being recommended by most states in the world. The
air pollution menace most hits the third world countries and world organizations are striving to
come up with better ways of conserving the environments at this age of technological

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advancement where machines are taking over most of the production processes in the industries.
It is because of the adverse effects that pollutions have not only on a human being but also on
plants and animals, that we the world has to make matters of controlling pollution an agent
mater. Failure to handle air pollution will result in more health complications to the people
living in the polluted regions. Such illnesses do not only have an impact on the affected people
but to society as a whole. Such illnesses lower the productivity of the affected people and also
divert the expenditure of the households to medical expenses rather than investments. We,
therefore, must keep in mind that the world is indeed changing and that it is vital to managing air
pollution in this changing world. Thank you.

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