Health Effects of Air Pollution

Wednesday, February 6, 2006 ENV 4101/5105 Godish Chapter 5 and Online Respiratory Health Module (http://aerosol.ees.ufl.edu/default.htm) For extra reference: EPA http://www.epa.gov/air/urbanair/

Introduction

Methods of Exposure Criteria Air Pollutants:

Review: NAAQS from CAA

Primary standards Secondary standards

Hazardous Air Pollutants:

Regulated under 1990 CAA Amendments Bioaerosols, medicinal purposes

Some other important health aspects

Exposure

Chronic Acute

Air Pollution Episode

Dependent on local conditions Epidemiological studies

Statistical relationship between environmental factors and human disease Challenging

Smog Episode in NYC, 1963 National Archives, photo by Chester Higgins

Toxicological studies Pollutant interactions

Respiratory System

Via inhalation/respiratory as well as eye/skin Three parts of respiratory system

Naso-pharyngeal (HAR) Tracheo-bronchial (TBR) Pulmonary-Alveolar (GER) Purpose GER SA > 75 m2

Dr. Owens, UF ABE2062 Course http://faculty.abe.ufl.edu/~chyn/age2062/lect/lect_20/lect_20.htm

Lungs portal of entry

Respiratory System

Natural protection mechanisms Naso-pharyngeal (HAR)

Tracheo-bronchial (TBR)

Mucociliary escalator Bronchial constriction Macrophages (phagocytosis) No ciliary action

Pulmonary-Alveolar (GER)

Fisher and Paykel Health Care http://www.fphcare.com/humidification/foradults2.asp

Question: Why doesnt the pulmonary-alveolar region have more natural protection mechanisms?

Criteria Air Pollutants: Particulate Matter

Very small solids/liquids that remain suspended Causes: materials handling, combustion processes, gas conversion reactions Main sources:
Primary Stds. Averaging Times Revoked(2) 150 g/m3 Secondary Stds.

Pollutant Particulate Matter (PM10 ) Particulate Matter (PM2.5 )

Annual(2) (Arith. Mean) 24-hour(3) Annual(4) (Arith. Same as Primary Mean) 24-hour(5)

15.0 g/m3 35 g/m3

Criteria Air Pollutants: Particulate Matter

Two possible fates Factors affecting fate

Methods of Deposition

Aerodynamic properties Physiological behavior

Impaction* Interception* Diffusion* Electrostatic Attraction Gravitational Settling

Adapted from Universite Laval http://www.theses.ulaval.ca/ 2004/21789/ch01.html

Which mechanisms will work better for large particles? For small particles?

Criteria Air Pollutants: Particulate Matter

Major contributors

Gravitational Settling

Impaction

Predominant for dp 3 m
PM2.5 regulations

3-5 m (VTS dar2) Distal/horizontal regions of bronchial airways

Primarily in HAR or TBR

Visual example: http://aerosol.ees.ufl.edu/respirator

Visual example: http://aerosol.ees.ufl.edu/respiratory/section04-1.html

Minimal effect

Brownian diffusion

Predominant for dp 0.5 m

Electrostatic Attraction Interception

Visual example: Elongate particles http://aerosol.ees.ufl.edu/respiratory/section04-3.html Visual example: http://aerosol.ees.ufl.edu/respirator

Criteria Air Pollutants: Particulate Matter

dp<0.1 0.1<dp<1 dp>PM2.5

DF=Total DFHA=Head Airways DFTB=Tracheobronchial DFAL=Alveolar region

Why is there a dip in deposition fraction between 0.1 and 1 m? Assume this is for nasal breathing. How might this graph change for mouth breathing?

Criteria Air Pollutants: Particulate Matter

Health effects

Wheezing and coughing Heart attacks and death

Wide Range

TSP (Total Suspended Particles)

In presence of SO2, direct correlation between TSP and hospital visits for bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, and cardiac disease ~60,000 deaths from PM (AHA) 1% increase in mortality for every 10 mg/m3 increase in PM (AHA)

Respiratory mortality up 3.4% for the same (AHA) Cardiovascular mortality up 1.4% for the same (AHA)

Criteria Air Pollutants: Particulate Matter

PM10 (<10 m, coarse (2.5-10 m) and fine particles)

Anything larger deposited in the HAR (nasal-pharangycal) Most serious health effects in alveolar/gas exchange region
shift in regulation focus

PM2.5 (<2.5 m, fine particles)

May adsorb chemicals & intensify their effects Toxic or carcinogenic pesticides, lead, arsenic, radioactive material

8% increase in lung cancer for each 10 g/m3 increase of PM2.5

Criteria Air Pollutants: Particulate Matter

Asthma

14 Americans die/day of asthma

3x greater than 20 yrs ago

Increased health care costs Inversions (covered officially later) In presence of SO2 1930: Meuse Valley in Belgium- 60 deaths 1948: Donora, PA- 20 deaths 1952: Lethal London Smog- 12,000 deaths

Particulate episodes

Criteria Air Pollutants: Carbon Monoxide

Colorless, odorless, tasteless gas Review

Silent Killer

Cause: incomplete combustion Source: transportation sector, energy production, residential heating units, some industrial processes

Ambient concerns addressed by NAAQS OSHA (50 ppm avg over 8-hour period)
Pollutant Carbon Monoxide Primary Stds. 9 ppm (10 mg/m3) 35 ppm (40 mg/m3) 1-hour(1) None Averaging Times 8-hour(1) Secondary Stds. None

Criteria Air Pollutants: Carbon Monoxide

Reacts with hemoglobin in blood

Forms carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) rather than oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) Prevents oxygen transfer Low-level: cardiovascular and neurobehavior High-level: headaches/nausea/fatigue to possible death Oxygen deficient people esp. vulnerable (anemia, chronic heart or lung disease, high altitude residents, smokers)

Toxic effects on humans

CDC CO Poisoning http://www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm

Cigarette smoke: 400-450 ppm; smokers blood 5-10% HbCO vs 2% for non-smoker

Criteria Air Pollutants: Carbon Monoxide

Concern in homes especially Install CO monitor!

No indoor home regulations

>70 ppm flu-like symptoms (w/out fever) 150-200 ppm disorientation, drowsiness, vomiting >300 ppm unconsciousness, brain damage, death

Treatment: fresh air, oxygen therapy, hyperbaric chamber

500 Americans die/year from unintentional CO poisoning What are some potential sourcesParrish Medical Center http://www.parrishmed.com/programs_ of CO poisoning? services/wound_hyperbaric.cfm

Criteria Air Pollutants: Ozone

Cause: product of photochemical rxns Source: cars, power plants, combustion, chemical industries Acute Health effects

Severe E/N/T (ear/nose/throat) irritation Eye irritation at 100 ppb Interferes with lung functions

Coughing at 2 ppm

Chronic Health Effects

Why do we use ozone as disinfectant for WW? Irreversible, accelerated lung damage

Criteria Air Pollutants: NOx

Cause: Fuel combustion at high temps Source: mobile and stationary combustion sources Prolonged exposure pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, and higher LRI (lower respiratory tract illness) in children Toxic effects at 10-30 ppm

Nose and eye irritation Lung tissue damage

Pulmonary edema (swelling) Bronchitis Defense mechanisms

Pneumonia Aggravate existing heart disease

Criteria Air Pollutants: SOx

Cause: Burning fuel that contains sulfur Source: Electric power generation, diesel trucks Gas and particulate phase Soluble and absorbed by respiratory system Short-term intermittent exposures

Bronchoconstriction (temporary breathing difficulty) E/N/T irritation Mucus secretion Respiratory illness Aggravates existing heart disease London issues were combination of the two

Long-term exposures

Intensified in presence of PM

Criteria Air Pollutants: Lead (Pb)

Source: burning fuels that contain lead (phased out), metal processing, waste incinerators Absorbed into blood; similar to calcium Accumulates in blood, bones, muscles, fat

Damages organs kidneys, liver, brain, reproductive system, bones (osteoporosis) Brain and nervous system seizures, mental retardation, behavioral disorders, memory problems, mood changes,

Young children - lower IQ, learning disabilities

Heart and blood high blood pressure and increased heart disease Chronic poisoning possible

Queensland Government Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/environmental_manage ment/air/air_quality_monitoring/air_pollutants/airbo rne_lead/

Criteria Air Pollutants: Air Quality Index (AQI)

Do we have a way to determine local air quality? AQI/PSI (formerly Pollutants Std Index) Assigns numerical rating to air quality of six criteria pollutants (TSP, SO2, CO, O3, NO2, and TSP*SO2)
API Value 0-50 51-100 101-199 200-299 Air Quality Descriptor Good Moderate Unhealthful Very unhealthful

Criteria Air Pollutants: Air Quality Index (AQI)

Begin by calculating individual subindex for each pollutant Subindex is defined as segmented linear function

What is the index value if 8-hr CO is 9 mg/m^3?

Overall API is the MAXIMUM of all the sub-index values

Index Value

24 hr TSP 24 hr SO2 TSPxSO2 8 hr CO g/m3 g/m3 ( g/m3)2 mg/m3

8 hr O3 g/m3

1 hr NO2 g/m3

0 50 100 200 300

0 75 260 375 625

0 80 365 800 1600

N/A N/A N/A 65,000 261,000

0 5 10 17 34

0 118 235 400 800

N/A N/A N/A 1130 2260

Criteria Air Pollutants: Air Quality Index (AQI)

Group Work: Calculate the PSI and give a verbal description of air that contains 7 mg/m3 CO (8hour average), 300 g/m3 TSP (24-hour average), and 300 g/m3 SO2 (24-hour average)?

Reminder: Good (0-50); Moderate (51-100); Unhealthful (100-199); Very Unhealthful (200-299); Hazardous (>300)
24 hr TSP 24 hr SO2 TSPxSO2 g/m3 g/m3 ( g/m3)2 0 75 260 375 625 875 0 80 365 800 1600 2100 N/A N/A N/A 65,000 261,000 393,000 8 hr CO mg/m3 0 5 10 17 34 46 8 hr O3 g/m3 0 118 235 400 800 1000 1 hr NO2 g/m3 N/A N/A N/A 1130 2260 3000 3750

Value

0 50 100 200 300 400

500 http://www.dep.state.fl.us/air/flaqs/forecast.htm 1000 2620 490,000 57.5 1200

HAPs: Mercury

Elemental Hg inhaled as a vapor, absorbed by lungs Cause: vaporized mercury Sources: coal combustion, accidental spill, mining Effects: Nervous system (acute, high), respiratory system (chronic, low), kidneys, skin, eyes, immune system; Mutagenic properties Symptoms

Acute: chills, nausea, chest pains/tightness, cough, gingivitis, general malaise Chronic: weakness, fatigue, weight loss, tremor, behavioral changes

istockphoto.com http://www.istockphoto.com/imageindex/728/1/728179/Mercury_drops_Hg.html

HAPs: Dioxins

Generic term for several chemicals that are highly persistent in the environment

chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs) chlorinated dibenzofurans (CDFs) certain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

Cause: burning chlorine-based compounds with hydrocarbons Sources: waste incinerator

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzofuran

3,3',4,4',5,5'-Hexachlorobiphenyl

HAPs: Dioxins

Varying toxicity

Generally problems with high exposures Exact effects of low exposures not really known Carcinogenic

Health Effects

Comparative Photos Showing Yuschenko Immediately Prior To And Immediately Following Dioxin Poisoning http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Yushchenko (Note: this is an extreme case of dioxin poisoning)

Some are known human carcinogen (2,3,7,8 tetrachlordibenzo-p-dioxin, TCDD) Others are reasonably anticipated to be a Human Carcinogen

Reproductive and developmental effects Chloracne

Other Aerosols: Bioaerosols

Aerosols with organic origin

Non-viable: pollen, dander, insect excreta, sea salt Viable: microorganisms

Cause: aerosolization of organic material Sources:

Human: sneezing, coughing Non-human: wind, waves, WWTP

Mechanical aeration in oxidation ditch at UF WWTP

Health Effects: allergies (pollen) to death (pathogenic organisms)

Pathogenic Minimum Infectious Dose

Other Aerosols: Bioaerosols

Allergies

Pollen, dander, fungi (spores)

Airborne transmission of disease

Bird flu, SARS, Legionnella (pneumonia) Indoor Air Quality

Ventilation Systems moist ductwork, protection, recycled air Office Buildings Sick Building Syndrome

Hospital (nosocomial) Anthrax, Ebola virus

Biological Warfare

Morning Glory Pollen SEM University of West GA Microscopy Center http://www.westga.edu/~geosci/wgmc/plants_pics.htm

Other Aerosols: Medicinal Applications

Purposely applied medicine Take advantage of lungs portal of entry (GER thin membrane of alveolar) Asthma

Inhaler Pfizer uses Insulin

Diabetes

http://aerosol_beta.ees.ufl.edu/Healthaerosol/section03-2.htm

Review of Lecture

Respiratory System and methods of deposition

1. 2. 3.

SOx

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ Mercury

Lead

Particulate Matter

HAPs

Carbon Monoxide

_______________________ _______________________

Dioxins

Ozone

Bioaerosols

NOx

_____________________