Transportation-related pollutants are one of the largest contributors
to unhealthy air quality. Many of these common air pollutants, such as
ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter, are respiratory irritants
that can aggravate asthma either alone or in combined action with other
environmental factors. In addition, recent research findings are
beginning to point to a potential link between some air pollutants and
the initial onset of certain respiratory conditions.
Twenty-five percent of American children live in areas that regularly exceed
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's limits for ozone -- more than
one quarter of which comes from auto emissions. How we design our communities
and our transportation systems plays a large role in our dependence on
automobiles and on the duration and type of automobile trips we take.
Several years ago, researchers took advantage of a natural experiment to observe
the impact on pediatric asthma of decreased traffic levels and improved air
quality. During the 1996 Summer Olympics Games in Atlanta, researchers found
that while peak morning traffic decreased 23% and peak ozone levels decreased
28%, emergency visits for asthma events in children decreased 42%. During the
same period, children’s emergency visits for causes other than asthma did not
change. These results suggest how efforts to improve air quality, such as
increased use of mass transit and carpooling, can help improve the respiratory
health of a community.
For more information on respiratory health & air pollution, refer to
the
following resources:
National Center
for Environmental Health - Air Pollution and Respiratory Illnesses
(http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/default.htm)
The Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Branch of NCEH directs the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention's fight against respiratory illness associated with
air pollution.
Damp Indoor Spaces and
Health (2004)
(http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091934/html/)
A publication by the Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Institute
of Medicine.
Additional information on respiratory health & air pollution and related topics can be
found in the Additional Resources section.
References
Friedman MS, Powell KE, Hutwagner L, et al. Impact of changes in transportation
and commuting behaviors during the 1996 Summer Olympic games in Atlanta on air
quality and childhood asthma. JAMA 2001;285:897-905.