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Boogaard H, Atkinson RW, Brook JR, Chang HH, Hoek G, Hoffmann B, Sagiv SK, Samoli E, Smargiassi A, Szpiro AA, Vienneau D, Weuve J, Lurmann FW, Forastiere F. Evidence Synthesis of Observational Studies in Environmental Health: Lessons Learned from a Systematic Review on Traffic-Related Air Pollution. Environ Health Perspect 2023; 131:115002. [PMID: 37991444 PMCID: PMC10664749 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a long tradition in environmental health of using frameworks for evidence synthesis, such as those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its Integrated Science Assessments and the International Agency for Research on Cancer Monographs. The framework, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE), was developed for evidence synthesis in clinical medicine. The U.S. Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) elaborated an approach for evidence synthesis in environmental health building on GRADE. METHODS We applied a modified OHAT approach and a broader "narrative" assessment to assess the level of confidence in a large systematic review on traffic-related air pollution and health outcomes. DISCUSSION We discuss several challenges with the OHAT approach and its implementation and suggest improvements for synthesizing evidence from observational studies in environmental health. We consider the determination of confidence using a formal rating scheme of up- and downgrading of certain factors, the treatment of every factor as equally important, and the lower initial confidence rating of observational studies to be fundamental issues in the OHAT approach. We argue that some observational studies can offer high-confidence evidence in environmental health. We note that heterogeneity in magnitude of effect estimates should generally not weaken the confidence in the evidence, and consistency of associations across study designs, populations, and exposure assessment methods may strengthen confidence in the evidence. We mention that publication bias should be explored beyond statistical methods and is likely limited when large and collaborative studies comprise most of the evidence and when accrued over several decades. We propose to identify possible key biases, their most likely direction, and their potential impacts on the results. We think that the OHAT approach and other GRADE-type frameworks require substantial modification to align better with features of environmental health questions and the studies that address them. We emphasize that a broader, "narrative" evidence assessment based on the systematic review may complement a formal GRADE-type evaluation. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11532.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard W. Atkinson
- Population Health Research Institute, St. George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffrey R. Brook
- Occupational and Environmental Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Howard H. Chang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Barbara Hoffmann
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sharon K. Sagiv
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Evangelia Samoli
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Audrey Smargiassi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Adam A. Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Danielle Vienneau
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Weuve
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Francesco Forastiere
- Environmental Research Group, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Turner MC, Andersen ZJ, Neira M, Krzyzanowski M, Malmqvist E, González Ortiz A, Kiesewetter G, Katsouyanni K, Brunekreef B, Melén E, Ljungman P, Tolotto M, Forastiere F, Dendale P, Price R, Bakke O, Reichert S, Hoek G, Pershagen G, Peters A, Querol X, Gerometta A, Samoli E, Markevych I, Basthiste R, Khreis H, Pant P, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Sacks JD, Hansen K, Lymes T, Stauffer A, Fuller GW, Boogaard H, Hoffmann B. Clean air in Europe for all! Taking stock of the proposed revision to the ambient air quality directives: a joint ERS, HEI and ISEE workshop report. Eur Respir J 2023; 62:2301380. [PMID: 37827574 PMCID: PMC10894647 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01380-2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Ambient air pollution is a major public health concern and comprehensive new legislation is currently being considered to improve air quality in Europe. The European Respiratory Society (ERS), Health Effects Institute (HEI), and International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) organised a joint meeting on May 24, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium, to review and critically evaluate the latest evidence on the health effects of air pollution and discuss ongoing revisions of the European Ambient Air Quality Directives (AAQDs). A multi-disciplinary expert group of air pollution and health researchers, patient and medical societies, and policy representatives participated. This report summarises key discussions at the meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Turner
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Maria Neira
- World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Gregor Kiesewetter
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
| | | | | | - Erik Melén
- Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Paul Dendale
- European Society of Cardiology (ESC), Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Richard Price
- European Cancer Organisation (ECO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ole Bakke
- Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sibylle Reichert
- International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies (AIM), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Annette Peters
- Helmholtz München - German Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- IBE, Medical Faculty, Ludwig Maximilians Universität, Munich, Germany
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Evangelia Samoli
- Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Iana Markevych
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Health and Quality of Life in a Green and Sustainable Environment, SRIPD, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | | | - Haneen Khreis
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jason D Sacks
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Kjeld Hansen
- European Lung Foundation, Sheffield, UK
- Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | - Gary W Fuller
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
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3
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Kutlar Joss M, Boogaard H, Samoli E, Patton AP, Atkinson R, Brook J, Chang H, Haddad P, Hoek G, Kappeler R, Sagiv S, Smargiassi A, Szpiro A, Vienneau D, Weuve J, Lurmann F, Forastiere F, Hoffmann BH. Long-Term Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Public Health 2023; 68:1605718. [PMID: 37325174 PMCID: PMC10266340 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1605718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives: We report results of a systematic review on the health effects of long-term traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and diabetes in the adult population. Methods: An expert Panel appointed by the Health Effects Institute conducted this systematic review. We searched the PubMed and LUDOK databases for epidemiological studies from 1980 to July 2019. TRAP was defined based on a comprehensive protocol. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed. Confidence assessments were based on a modified Office for Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) approach, complemented with a broader narrative synthesis. We extended our interpretation to include evidence published up to May 2022. Results: We considered 21 studies on diabetes. All meta-analytic estimates indicated higher diabetes risks with higher exposure. Exposure to NO2 was associated with higher diabetes prevalence (RR 1.09; 95% CI: 1.02; 1.17 per 10 μg/m3), but less pronounced for diabetes incidence (RR 1.04; 95% CI: 0.96; 1.13 per 10 μg/m3). The overall confidence in the evidence was rated moderate, strengthened by the addition of 5 recently published studies. Conclusion: There was moderate evidence for an association of long-term TRAP exposure with diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meltem Kutlar Joss
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Evangelia Samoli
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Richard Atkinson
- Population Health Research Institute, St. George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jeff Brook
- Occupational and Environmental Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Howard Chang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Pascale Haddad
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ron Kappeler
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sharon Sagiv
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Audrey Smargiassi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Adam Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Danielle Vienneau
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Weuve
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Fred Lurmann
- Sonoma Technology, Inc., Petaluma, CA, United States
| | - Francesco Forastiere
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara H. Hoffmann
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Boogaard H, Samoli E, Patton AP, Atkinson RW, Brook JR, Chang HH, Hoffmann B, Kutlar Joss M, Sagiv SK, Smargiassi A, Szpiro AA, Vienneau D, Weuve J, Lurmann FW, Forastiere F, Hoek G. Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and non-accidental mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Int 2023; 176:107916. [PMID: 37210806 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The health effects of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) continue to be of important public health interest across the globe. Following its 2010 review, the Health Effects Institute appointed a new expert Panel to systematically evaluate the epidemiological evidence regarding the associations between long-term exposure to TRAP and selected health outcomes. This paper describes the main findings of the systematic review on non-accidental mortality. METHODS The Panel used a systematic approach to conduct the review. An extensive search was conducted of literature published between 1980 and 2019. A new exposure framework was developed to determine whether a study was sufficiently specific to TRAP, which included studies beyond the near-roadway environment. We performed random-effects meta-analysis when at least three estimates were available of an association between a specific exposure and outcome. We evaluated confidence in the evidence using a modified Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) approach, supplemented with a broader narrative synthesis. RESULTS Thirty-six cohort studies were included. Virtually all studies adjusted for a large number of individual and area-level covariates-including smoking, body mass index, and individual and area-level socioeconomic status-and were judged at a low or moderate risk for bias. Most studies were conducted in North America and Europe, and a few were based in Asia and Australia. The meta-analytic summary estimates for nitrogen dioxide, elemental carbon and fine particulate matter-pollutants with more than 10 studies-were 1.04 (95% CI 1.01, 1.06), 1.02 (1.00, 1.04) and 1.03 (1.01, 1.05) per 10, 1 and 5 µg/m3, respectively. Effect estimates are interpreted as the relative risk of mortality when the exposure differs with the selected increment. The confidence in the evidence for these pollutants was judged as high, because of upgrades for monotonic exposure-response and consistency across populations. The consistent findings across geographical regions, exposure assessment methods and confounder adjustment resulted in a high confidence rating using a narrative approach as well. CONCLUSIONS The overall confidence in the evidence for a positive association between long-term exposure to TRAP and non-accidental mortality was high.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Boogaard
- Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - E Samoli
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - A P Patton
- Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - R W Atkinson
- Population Health Research Institute, St. George's University of London, United Kingdom
| | - J R Brook
- Occupational and Environmental Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - H H Chang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - B Hoffmann
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - M Kutlar Joss
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwill, Switzerland; University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - S K Sagiv
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - A Smargiassi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - A A Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - D Vienneau
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwill, Switzerland; University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - J Weuve
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - F W Lurmann
- Sonoma Technology, Inc., Petaluma, CA, United States
| | - F Forastiere
- Environmental Research Group, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - G Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Netherlands
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Haddad P, Kutlar Joss M, Weuve J, Vienneau D, Atkinson R, Brook J, Chang H, Forastiere F, Hoek G, Kappeler R, Lurmann F, Sagiv S, Samoli E, Smargiassi A, Szpiro A, Patton AP, Boogaard H, Hoffmann B. Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 247:114079. [PMID: 36446272 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.114079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stroke remains the second cause of death worldwide. The mechanisms underlying the adverse association of exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) with overall cardiovascular disease may also apply to stroke. Our objective was to systematically evaluate the epidemiological evidence regarding the associations of long-term exposure to TRAP with stroke. METHODS PubMed and LUDOK electronic databases were searched systematically for observational epidemiological studies from 1980 through 2019 on long-term exposure to TRAP and stroke with an update in January 2022. TRAP was defined according to a comprehensive protocol based on pollutant and exposure assessment methods or proximity metrics. Study selection, data extraction, risk of bias (RoB) and confidence assessments were conducted according to standardized protocols. We performed meta-analyses using random effects models; sensitivity analyses were assessed by geographic area, RoB, fatality, traffic specificity and new studies. RESULTS Nineteen studies were included. The meta-analytic relative risks (and 95% confidence intervals) were: 1.03 (0.98-1.09) per 1 μg/m3 EC, 1.09 (0.96-1.23) per 10 μg/m3 PM10, 1.08 (0.89-1.32) per 5 μg/m3 PM2.5, 0.98 (0.92; 1.05) per 10 μg/m3 NO2 and 0.99 (0.94; 1.04) per 20 μg/m3 NOx with little to moderate heterogeneity based on 6, 5, 4, 7 and 8 studies, respectively. The confidence assessments regarding the quality of the body of evidence and separately regarding the presence of an association of TRAP with stroke considering all available evidence were rated low and moderate, respectively. CONCLUSION The available literature provides low to moderate evidence for an association of TRAP with stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Haddad
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - M Kutlar Joss
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany; Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4001, Basel, Switzerland
| | - J Weuve
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - D Vienneau
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4001, Basel, Switzerland
| | - R Atkinson
- Epidemiology, Population Health Research Institute and MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, St. George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, UK
| | - J Brook
- Occupational and Environmental Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St Room 500, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - H Chang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - F Forastiere
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, Level 2, Faculty Building South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - G Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - R Kappeler
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4001, Basel, Switzerland
| | - F Lurmann
- Sonoma Technology, Inc, 1450 N McDowell Blvd #200, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA
| | - S Sagiv
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
| | - E Samoli
- Dept. of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Athina, 115 27, Greece
| | - A Smargiassi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, 7101 Park Ave, Montreal, Quebec, H3N 1X9, Canada
| | - A Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, 3980 15th Avenue NE, Box 351617, Seattle, WA, 98195-1617, USA
| | - A P Patton
- Health Effects Institute, 75 Federal suite UNIT 1400, Boston, MA, 02110, USA
| | - H Boogaard
- Health Effects Institute, 75 Federal suite UNIT 1400, Boston, MA, 02110, USA
| | - B Hoffmann
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Boogaard H, Patton AP, Atkinson RW, Brook JR, Chang HH, Crouse DL, Fussell JC, Hoek G, Hoffmann B, Kappeler R, Kutlar Joss M, Ondras M, Sagiv SK, Samoli E, Shaikh R, Smargiassi A, Szpiro AA, Van Vliet EDS, Vienneau D, Weuve J, Lurmann FW, Forastiere F. Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and selected health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Int 2022; 164:107262. [PMID: 35569389 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The health effects of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) continue to be of important public health interest. Following its well-cited 2010 critical review, the Health Effects Institute (HEI) appointed a new expert Panel to systematically evaluate the epidemiological evidence regarding the associations between long-term exposure to TRAP and selected adverse health outcomes. Health outcomes were selected based on evidence of causality for general air pollution (broader than TRAP) cited in authoritative reviews, relevance for public health and policy, and resources available. The Panel used a systematic approach to search the literature, select studies for inclusion in the review, assess study quality, summarize results, and reach conclusions about the confidence in the evidence. An extensive search was conducted of literature published between January 1980 and July 2019 on selected health outcomes. A new exposure framework was developed to determine whether a study was sufficiently specific to TRAP. In total, 353 studies were included in the review. Respiratory effects in children (118 studies) and birth outcomes (86 studies) were the most commonly studied outcomes. Fewer studies investigated cardiometabolic effects (57 studies), respiratory effects in adults (50 studies), and mortality (48 studies). The findings from the systematic review, meta-analyses, and evaluation of the quality of the studies and potential biases provided an overall high or moderate-to-high level of confidence in an association between long-term exposure to TRAP and the adverse health outcomes all-cause, circulatory, ischemic heart disease and lung cancer mortality, asthma onsetin chilldren and adults, and acute lower respiratory infections in children. The evidence was considered moderate, low or very low for the other selected outcomes. In light of the large number of people exposed to TRAP - both in and beyond the near-road environment - the Panel concluded that the overall high or moderate-to-high confidence in the evidence for an association between long-term exposure to TRAP and several adverse health outcomes indicates that exposures to TRAP remain an important public health concern and deserve greater attention from the public and from policymakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Boogaard
- Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - A P Patton
- Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - R W Atkinson
- Epidemiology, Population Health Research Institute and MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - J R Brook
- Occupational and Environmental Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - H H Chang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - D L Crouse
- Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - J C Fussell
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - G Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - B Hoffmann
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - R Kappeler
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - M Kutlar Joss
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - M Ondras
- Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - S K Sagiv
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - E Samoli
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - R Shaikh
- Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - A Smargiassi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - A A Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | | | - D Vienneau
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - J Weuve
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - F W Lurmann
- Sonoma Technology, Inc, Petaluma, CA, United States
| | - F Forastiere
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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7
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Hoffmann B, Boogaard H, de Nazelle A, Andersen ZJ, Abramson M, Brauer M, Brunekreef B, Forastiere F, Huang W, Kan H, Kaufman JD, Katsouyanni K, Krzyzanowski M, Kuenzli N, Laden F, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Mustapha A, Powell P, Rice M, Roca-Barceló A, Roscoe CJ, Soares A, Straif K, Thurston G. WHO Air Quality Guidelines 2021-Aiming for Healthier Air for all: A Joint Statement by Medical, Public Health, Scientific Societies and Patient Representative Organisations. Int J Public Health 2021; 66:1604465. [PMID: 34630006 PMCID: PMC8494774 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2021.1604465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Hoffmann
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical School, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | | | - Zorana J Andersen
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Abramson
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael Brauer
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Bert Brunekreef
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Wei Huang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Haidong Kan
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Joel D Kaufman
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Klea Katsouyanni
- Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Nino Kuenzli
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Francine Laden
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Adetoun Mustapha
- Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Pippa Powell
- European Lung Foundation, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Mary Rice
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | | | - Agnes Soares
- Pan American Health Organization, Washington D.C., DC, United States
| | - Kurt Straif
- Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - George Thurston
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York City, NY, United States
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Andersen ZJ, Hoffmann B, Morawska L, Adams M, Furman E, Yorgancioglu A, Greenbaum D, Neira M, Brunekreef B, Forastiere F, Rice MB, Wakenhut F, Coleen E, Boogaard H, Gehring U, Melén E, Ward B, De Matteis S. Air pollution and COVID-19: clearing the air and charting a post-pandemic course: a joint workshop report of ERS, ISEE, HEI and WHO. Eur Respir J 2021; 58:2101063. [PMID: 34385271 PMCID: PMC8361303 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01063-2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is now recognised by governments, international institutions and civil society as a major global public health risk factor. The health burden of air pollution is large: 509 000 premature deaths every year in Europe [1] and serious aggravations of heart and lung diseases that affect millions of patients, both children and adults. The European Environmental Agency estimated that in 2018 there were 417 000 premature deaths attributable to particulate matter with diameter <2.5 µm (PM2.5), 55 000 to NO2, and 20 600 to O3 in Europe (table 10.1 in EEA Report 9/2020 [2]). In addition, 4 805 800 years of life lost could be attributed to PM2.5, 623 600 to NO2, and 246 700 to O3 (table 10.2 in [2]). This “silent killer” is one the most important determinants of health, surpassed only by high blood pressure, tobacco use and poor diet. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has raised concerns about whether air pollution can increase the severity of disease and risk of death after infection, as well as facilitate the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Chronic lung disease patients are in the epicentre of the current crisis, as they are more vulnerable to both the adverse effects of a SARS-CoV-2 infection and air pollution exposure, as well as their possible interactions. At the same time, the lockdown measures to control the spread of COVID-19 brought historical short-term reductions in air pollution levels around the globe, and increasing general public interest and demand for clean air policies [3]. The COVID-19 pandemic, an emerging infectious disease probably caused by a spill over from animals, and its possible interactions with air pollution, is an existential reminder that we are a part of a larger ecosystem, and that human health is closely connected with the health of our environment and planet. Here we provide a short summary on the potential role of air pollution in the spread and worsening of health impacts of COVID-19, and on the influence of the pandemic on air pollution levels in Europe. Moreover, we outline the major lessons learned to chart a healthy post-pandemic course. This work summarises the key messages from a workshop that took place on 2 December, 2020, organised by the European Respiratory Society (ERS), the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) and the Health Effects Institute (HEI), endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), and hosted by the European Parliament Lung Health Group and the European Commission (table 1). The potential role of air pollution in the worsening of health impacts of COVID-19, and the influence of the pandemic on air pollution levels in Europe is explored. This editorial outlines the major lessons learned to chart a healthy post-pandemic course. https://bit.ly/3hmbaya
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Affiliation(s)
- Zorana J Andersen
- Environmental Epidemiology Group, Section of Environmental Health, Dept of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Barbara Hoffmann
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lidia Morawska
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health (ILAQH), School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Martin Adams
- European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Eeva Furman
- Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Arzu Yorgancioglu
- Celal Bayar University Medical Faculty, Dept of Pulmonology, Manisa, Turkey
| | | | - Maria Neira
- World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bert Brunekreef
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Mary B Rice
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - François Wakenhut
- Clean Air Unit, Directorate-General Environment, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Erika Coleen
- Belgian Asthma and Allergy Association, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Ulrike Gehring
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Erik Melén
- Dept of Clinical Sciences and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brian Ward
- European Respiratory Society, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sara De Matteis
- Dept of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Hoffmann B, Roebbel N, Gumy S, Forastiere F, Brunekreef B, Jarosinska D, Walker KD, van Erp AM, O'Keefe R, Greenbaum D, Williams M, Krzyzanowski M, Kelly FJ, Brauer M, Bruyninckx H, Boogaard H. Air pollution and health: recent advances in air pollution epidemiology to inform the European Green Deal: a joint workshop report of ERS, WHO, ISEE and HEI. Eur Respir J 2020; 56:56/5/2002575. [PMID: 33154078 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02575-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Hoffmann
- Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Nathalie Roebbel
- Air Quality and Health, Department for Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sophie Gumy
- Air Quality and Health, Department for Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Forastiere
- Environmental Research Group, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Bert Brunekreef
- Environmental Epidemiology IRAS, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dorota Jarosinska
- WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Bonn, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Martin Williams
- MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Environmental Research Group, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Michal Krzyzanowski
- Environmental Research Group, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Frank J Kelly
- Environmental Research Group, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Michael Brauer
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Burns J, Boogaard H, Polus S, Pfadenhauer LM, Rohwer AC, van Erp AM, Turley R, Rehfuess EA. Interventions to reduce ambient air pollution and their effects on health: An abridged Cochrane systematic review. Environ Int 2020; 135:105400. [PMID: 31855800 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A broad range of interventions have been implemented to improve ambient air quality, and many of these have been evaluated. Yet to date no systematic review has been conducted to identify and synthesize these studies. In this systematic review, we assess the effectiveness of interventions in reducing ambient particulate matter air pollution and improving adverse health outcomes. METHODS We searched a range of electronic databases across multiple disciplines, as well as grey literature databases, trial registries, reference lists of included studies and the contents of relevant journals, through August 2016. Eligible for inclusion were randomized and cluster randomized controlled trials, as well as several non-randomized study designs often used for evaluating air quality interventions. We included studies that evaluated interventions targeting industrial, residential, vehicular and multiple sources, with respect to their effect on mortality, morbidity and the concentrations of particulate matter (PM - including PM10, PM2.5, coarse particulate matter and combustion-related PM), as well as several criteria pollutants, including ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide and sulphur dioxide. We did not restrict studies based on the population, setting or comparison. Two authors independently assessed studies for inclusion, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We assessed risk of bias using the Graphic Appraisal Tool for Epidemiological studies (GATE) for correlation studies, as modified and employed by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. We synthesized evidence narratively, as well as graphically using harvest plots. We assessed the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. RESULTS We included 42 studies assessing 38 unique interventions. These comprised a heterogeneous mix of interventions, including those aiming to address industrial sources (n = 5; e.g. the closure of a factory), residential sources (n = 7; e.g. coal ban), vehicular sources (n = 22; e.g. low emission zones), and multiple sources (n = 4; e.g. tailored measures that target both local traffic and industrial polluters). Evidence for effectiveness was mixed. Most included studies observed either no significant association or an association favoring the intervention, with little evidence that the assessed interventions might be harmful. CONCLUSIONS Given the heterogeneity across interventions, outcomes, and methods, it was difficult to derive overall conclusions regarding the effectiveness of interventions in terms of improved air quality or health. Some evidence suggests that interventions are associated with improvements in air quality and human health, with very little evidence suggesting interventions were harmful. The evidence base highlights the challenges related to establishing the effectiveness of specific air pollution interventions on outcomes. It also points to the need for improved study design and analysis methods, as well as more uniform evaluations. The prospective planning of evaluations and an evaluation component built into the design and implementation of interventions may also be particularly beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Burns
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, LMU Munich, Germany; Pettenkofer School of Public Health, LMU Munich, Germany.
| | - H Boogaard
- Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S Polus
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, LMU Munich, Germany; Pettenkofer School of Public Health, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - L M Pfadenhauer
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, LMU Munich, Germany; Pettenkofer School of Public Health, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - A C Rohwer
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - R Turley
- Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer), Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - E A Rehfuess
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, LMU Munich, Germany; Pettenkofer School of Public Health, LMU Munich, Germany
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11
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Boogaard H, Walker K, Cohen AJ. Air pollution: the emergence of a major global health risk factor. Int Health 2019; 11:417-421. [DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihz078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Air pollution is now recognized by governments, international institutions and civil society as a major global public health risk factor. This is the result of the remarkable growth of scientific knowledge enabled by advances in epidemiology and exposure assessment. There is now a broad scientific consensus that exposure to air pollution increases mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular and respiratory disease and lung cancer and shortens life expectancy. Although air pollution has markedly declined in high-income countries, it was still responsible for some 4.9 million deaths in 2017, largely in low- and middle-income countries, where air pollution has increased over the past 25 y. As governments act to reduce air pollution there is a continuing need for research to strengthen the evidence on disease risk at very low and very high levels of air pollution, identify the air pollution sources most responsible for disease burden and assess the public health effectiveness of actions taken to improve air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Boogaard
- Health Effects Institute, 75 Federal Street, Suite 1400, Boston, MA, 02110 USA
| | - Katherine Walker
- Health Effects Institute, 75 Federal Street, Suite 1400, Boston, MA, 02110 USA
| | - Aaron J Cohen
- Health Effects Institute, 75 Federal Street, Suite 1400, Boston, MA, 02110 USA
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2301 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98121 USA
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12
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Burns J, Boogaard H, Polus S, Pfadenhauer LM, Rohwer AC, van Erp AM, Turley R, Rehfuess E. Interventions to reduce ambient particulate matter air pollution and their effect on health. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2019; 5:CD010919. [PMID: 31106396 PMCID: PMC6526394 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd010919.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ambient air pollution is associated with a large burden of disease in both high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To date, no systematic review has assessed the effectiveness of interventions aiming to reduce ambient air pollution. OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness of interventions to reduce ambient particulate matter air pollution in reducing pollutant concentrations and improving associated health outcomes. SEARCH METHODS We searched a range of electronic databases with diverse focuses, including health and biomedical research (CENTRAL, Cochrane Public Health Group Specialised Register, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO), multidisciplinary research (Scopus, Science Citation Index), social sciences (Social Science Citation Index), urban planning and environment (Greenfile), and LMICs (Global Health Library regional indexes, WHOLIS). Additionally, we searched grey literature databases, multiple online trial registries, references of included studies and the contents of relevant journals in an attempt to identify unpublished and ongoing studies, and studies not identified by our search strategy. The final search date for all databases was 31 August 2016. SELECTION CRITERIA Eligible for inclusion were randomized and cluster randomized controlled trials, as well as several non-randomized study designs, including controlled interrupted time-series studies (cITS-EPOC), interrupted time-series studies adhering to EPOC standards (ITS-EPOC), interrupted time-series studies not adhering to EPOC standards (ITS), controlled before-after studies adhering to EPOC standards (CBA-EPOC), and controlled before-after studies not adhering to EPOC standards (CBA); these were classified as main studies. Additionally, we included uncontrolled before-after studies (UBA) as supporting studies. We included studies that evaluated interventions to reduce ambient air pollution from industrial, residential, vehicular and multiple sources, with respect to their effect on mortality, morbidity and several air pollutant concentrations. We did not restrict studies based on the population, setting or comparison. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS After a calibration exercise among the author team, two authors independently assessed studies for inclusion, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We conducted data extraction, risk of bias assessment and evidence synthesis only for main studies; we mapped supporting studies with regard to the types of intervention and setting. To assess risk of bias, we used the Graphic Appraisal Tool for Epidemiological studies (GATE) for correlation studies, as modified and employed by the Centre for Public Health Excellence at the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). For each intervention category, i.e. those targeting industrial, residential, vehicular and multiple sources, we synthesized evidence narratively, as well as graphically using harvest plots. MAIN RESULTS We included 42 main studies assessing 38 unique interventions. These were heterogeneous with respect to setting; interventions were implemented in countries across the world, but most (79%) were implemented in HICs, with the remaining scattered across LMICs. Most interventions (76%) were implemented in urban or community settings.We identified a heterogeneous mix of interventions, including those aiming to address industrial (n = 5), residential (n = 7), vehicular (n = 22), and multiple sources (n = 4). Some specific interventions, such as low emission zones and stove exchanges, were assessed by several studies, whereas others, such as a wood burning ban, were only assessed by a single study.Most studies assessing health and air quality outcomes used routine monitoring data. Studies assessing health outcomes mostly investigated effects in the general population, while few studies assessed specific subgroups such as infants, children and the elderly. No identified studies assessed unintended or adverse effects.The judgements regarding the risk of bias of studies were mixed. Regarding health outcomes, we appraised eight studies (47%) as having no substantial risk of bias concerns, five studies (29%) as having some risk of bias concerns, and four studies (24%) as having serious risk of bias concerns. Regarding air quality outcomes, we judged 11 studies (31%) as having no substantial risk of bias concerns, 16 studies (46%) as having some risk of bias concerns, and eight studies (23%) as having serious risk of bias concerns.The evidence base, comprising non-randomized studies only, was of low or very low certainty for all intervention categories and primary outcomes. The narrative and graphical synthesis showed that evidence for effectiveness was mixed across the four intervention categories. For interventions targeting industrial, residential and multiple sources, a similar pattern emerged for both health and air quality outcomes, with essentially all studies observing either no clear association in either direction or a significant association favouring the intervention. The evidence base for interventions targeting vehicular sources was more heterogeneous, as a small number of studies did observe a significant association favouring the control. Overall, however, the evidence suggests that the assessed interventions do not worsen air quality or health. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Given the heterogeneity across interventions, outcomes, and methods, it was difficult to derive overall conclusions regarding the effectiveness of interventions in terms of improved air quality or health. Most included studies observed either no significant association in either direction or an association favouring the intervention, with little evidence that the assessed interventions might be harmful. The evidence base highlights the challenges related to establishing a causal relationship between specific air pollution interventions and outcomes. In light of these challenges, the results on effectiveness should be interpreted with caution; it is important to emphasize that lack of evidence of an association is not equivalent to evidence of no association.We identified limited evidence for several world regions, notably Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Southeast Asia; decision-makers should prioritize the development and implementation of interventions in these settings. In the future, as new policies are introduced, decision-makers should consider a built-in evaluation component, which could facilitate more systematic and comprehensive evaluations. These could assess effectiveness, but also aspects of feasibility, fidelity and acceptability.The production of higher quality and more uniform evidence would be helpful in informing decisions. Researchers should strive to sufficiently account for confounding, assess the impact of methodological decisions through the conduct and communication of sensitivity analyses, and improve the reporting of methods, and other aspects of the study, most importantly the description of the intervention and the context in which it is implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Burns
- Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichInstitute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public HealthMarchioninistr. 15MunichGermany
| | | | - Stephanie Polus
- Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichInstitute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public HealthMarchioninistr. 15MunichGermany
| | - Lisa M Pfadenhauer
- Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichInstitute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public HealthMarchioninistr. 15MunichGermany
| | - Anke C Rohwer
- Stellenbosch UniversityCentre for Evidence‐based Health Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesFrancie van Zijl DriveCape TownSouth Africa7505
| | | | - Ruth Turley
- Cardiff UniversityCentre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer)1 Museum PlaceCardiffUKCF10 3BD
| | - Eva Rehfuess
- Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichInstitute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public HealthMarchioninistr. 15MunichGermany
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Boogaard H, van Erp AM. Assessing health effects of air quality actions: what's next? The Lancet Public Health 2019; 4:e4-e5. [DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(18)30235-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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Boogaard H, Janssen NAH, Fischer PH, Kos GPA, Weijers EP, Cassee FR, van der Zee SC, de Hartog JJ, Meliefste K, Wang M, Brunekreef B, Hoek G. Impact of low emission zones and local traffic policies on ambient air pollution concentrations. Sci Total Environ 2012; 435-436:132-40. [PMID: 22846773 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.06.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2012] [Revised: 06/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/25/2012] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evaluations of the effectiveness of air pollution policy interventions are scarce. This study investigated air pollution at street level before and after implementation of local traffic policies including low emission zones (LEZ) directed at heavy duty vehicles (trucks) in five Dutch cities. METHODS Measurements of PM(10), PM(2.5), 'soot', NO(2), NO(x), and elemental composition of PM(10) and PM(2.5) were conducted simultaneously at eight streets, six urban background locations and four suburban background locations before (2008) and two years after implementation of the policies (2010). The four suburban locations were selected as control locations to account for generic air pollution trends and weather differences. RESULTS All pollutant concentrations were lower in 2010 than in 2008. For traffic-related pollutants including 'soot' and NO(x) and elemental composition (Cr, Cu, Fe) the decrease did not differ significantly between the intervention locations and the suburban control locations. Only for PM(2.5) reductions were considerably larger at urban streets (30%) and urban background locations (27%) than at the matching suburban control locations (20%). In one urban street where traffic intensity was reduced with 50%, 'soot', NO(x) and NO(2) concentrations were reduced substantially more (41, 36 and 25%) than at the corresponding suburban control location (22, 14 and 7%). CONCLUSION With the exception of one urban street where traffic flows were drastically reduced, the local traffic policies including LEZ were too modest to produce significant decreases in traffic-related air pollution concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Boogaard
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Division Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
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Hartog JJD, Boogaard H, Nijland H, Hoek G. Do the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks? Cien Saude Colet 2012; 16:4731-44. [PMID: 22124913 DOI: 10.1590/s1413-81232011001300022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2009] [Accepted: 06/11/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although from a societal point of view a modal shift from car to bicycle may have beneficial health effects due to decreased air pollution emissions and increased levels of physical activity, shifts in individual adverse health effects such as higher exposure to air pollution and risk of a traffic accident may prevail. We have summarized the literature for air pollution, traffic accidents, and physical activity using systematic reviews supplemented with recent key studies. We quantified the impact on all-cause mortality when 500,000 people would make a transition from car to bicycle for short trips on a daily basis in the Netherlands. We estimate that beneficial effects of increased physical activity are substantially larger (3-14 months gained) than the potential mortality effect of increased inhaled air pollution doses (0.8-40 days lost) and the increase in traffic accidents (5-9 days lost). Societal benefits are even larger because of a modest reduction in air pollution and traffic accidents. On average, the estimated health benefits of cycling were substantially larger than the risks relative to car driving for individuals shifting their mode of transport.
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Boogaard H, Janssen NAH, Fischer PH, Kos GPA, Weijers EP, Cassee FR, van der Zee SC, de Hartog JJ, Brunekreef B, Hoek G. Contrasts in oxidative potential and other particulate matter characteristics collected near major streets and background locations. Environ Health Perspect 2012; 120:185-91. [PMID: 22015682 PMCID: PMC3279435 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1103667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2011] [Accepted: 10/20/2011] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Measuring the oxidative potential of airborne particulate matter (PM) may provide a more health-based exposure measure by integrating various biologically relevant properties of PM into a single predictor of biological activity. OBJECTIVES We aimed to assess the contrast in oxidative potential of PM collected at major urban streets and background locations, the associaton of oxidative potential with other PM characteristics, and the oxidative potential in different PM size fractions. METHODS Measurements of PM with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10), PM with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), soot, elemental composition, and oxidative potential of PM were conducted simultaneously in samples from 8 major streets and 10 urban and suburban background locations in the Netherlands. Six 1-week measurements were performed at each location over a 6-month period in 2008. Oxidative potential was measured as the ability to generate hydroxyl radicals in the presence of hydrogen peroxide in all PM10 samples and a subset of PM2.5 samples. RESULTS The PM10 oxidative potential of samples from major streets was 3.6 times higher than at urban background locations, exceeding the contrast for PM mass, soot, and all measured chemical PM characteristics. The contrast between major streets and suburban background locations was even higher (factor of 6.5). Oxidative potential was highly correlated with soot, barium, chromium, copper, iron, and manganese. Oxidative potential of PM10 was 4.6 times higher than the oxidative potential of PM2.5 when expressed per volume unit and 3.1 times higher when expressed per mass unit. CONCLUSIONS The oxidative potential of PM near major urban roads was highly elevated compared with urban and suburban background locations, and the contrast was greater than that for any other measured PM characteristic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Boogaard
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Division Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Cesaroni G, Boogaard H, Jonkers S, Porta D, Badaloni C, Cattani G, Forastiere F, Hoek G. Health benefits of traffic-related air pollution reduction in different socioeconomic groups: the effect of low-emission zoning in Rome. Occup Environ Med 2011; 69:133-9. [PMID: 21821870 DOI: 10.1136/oem.2010.063750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Few studies have assessed the effects of policies aimed to reduce traffic-related air pollution. The aims of this study were to evaluate the impact, in terms of air quality and health effects, of two low-emission zones established in Rome in the period 2001-2005 and to assess the impact by socioeconomic position (SEP) of the population. METHODS We evaluated the effects of the intervention on various stages in the full-chain model, that is, pressure (number and age distribution of cars), emissions, PM(10) and NO(2) concentrations, population exposure and years of life gained (YLG). The impact was evaluated according to a small-area indicator of SEP. RESULTS During the period 2001-2005, there was a decrease in the total number of cars (-3.8%), NO(2) and PM(10) emissions and concentrations (from 22.9 to 17.4 μg/m(3) for NO(2) and from 7.8 to 6.2 μg/m(3) for PM(10)), and in the residents' exposure. In the two low-emission zones, there was an additional decrease in air pollution concentrations (NO(2): -4.13 and -2.99 μg/m(3); PM(10): -0.70 and -0.47 μg/m(3)). As a result of the policy, 264 522 residents living along busy roads gained 3.4 days per person (921 YLG per 100,000) for NO(2) reduction. The gain was larger for people in the highest SEP group (1387 YLG per 100,000) than for residents in the lowest SEP group (340 YLG per 100,000). CONCLUSION The traffic policy in Rome was effective in reducing traffic-related air pollution, but most of the health gains were found in well-off residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cesaroni
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Via S. Costanza 53, 00198 Rome, Italy.
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Boogaard H, Montagne DR, Brandenburg AP, Meliefste K, Hoek G. Comparison of short-term exposure to particle number, PM10 and soot concentrations on three (sub) urban locations. Sci Total Environ 2010; 408:4403-4411. [PMID: 20621332 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2010] [Revised: 06/11/2010] [Accepted: 06/16/2010] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Recent interest has focused on the health effects of ultrafine particles because of the documented toxicity and the larger concentration contrast near motorways of UFP than for PM10 or PM2.5. There are only few studies that have measured UFP at inner-city streets simultaneously with other PM components. The aim of this study was to compare the contrast of UFP, PM(10) and soot measured simultaneously at 3 inner-city locations, namely a moderately busy street (15,000 vehicles/day), a city and a suburban background location. Simultaneously, measurements of particle number concentrations (PNC), PM(10) and soot have been conducted on three locations in and around Utrecht, a medium-sized city in the Netherlands for 20 weekdays in autumn 2008. Measurements were done for 6-h during afternoon and early evening. The mean PNC at the street location was more than 3 times higher than at the two background locations. The contrast was similar for soot concentrations. In PM(10) concentrations less contrast was found, namely 1.8 times. Mean PNC concentrations were poorly correlated with PM(10) and soot. At the street location, high temporal variation of PNC concentrations occurred within each sampling day, probably related to variations in traffic volumes, high-emission individual vehicles and wind direction. Temporal variation was smaller at the two background locations. Occasional unexplained short-term peaks occurred at the suburban background location. A relatively high correlation between PNC minute values at the two background locations was found, pointing to similar area-wide sources. Typically low correlations were found with the street locations, consistent with the dominant impact of local traffic. A large contrast between two background locations and a moderately busy urban street location was found for PNC and soot, comparable to previous studies of much busier motorways. Temporal variation of PNC was higher at the street location and uncorrelated with background variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Boogaard
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Division Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80178, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Johan de Hartog J, Boogaard H, Nijland H, Hoek G. Do the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks? Environ Health Perspect 2010; 118:1109-16. [PMID: 20587380 PMCID: PMC2920084 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0901747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 306] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2009] [Accepted: 06/11/2010] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although from a societal point of view a modal shift from car to bicycle may have beneficial health effects due to decreased air pollution emissions, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, and increased levels of physical activity, shifts in individual adverse health effects such as higher exposure to air pollution and risk of a traffic accident may prevail. OBJECTIVE We describe whether the health benefits from the increased physical activity of a modal shift for urban commutes outweigh the health risks. DATA SOURCES AND EXTRACTION We have summarized the literature for air pollution, traffic accidents, and physical activity using systematic reviews supplemented with recent key studies. DATA SYNTHESIS We quantified the impact on all-cause mortality when 500,000 people would make a transition from car to bicycle for short trips on a daily basis in the Netherlands. We have expressed mortality impacts in life-years gained or lost, using life table calculations. For individuals who shift from car to bicycle, we estimated that beneficial effects of increased physical activity are substantially larger (3-14 months gained) than the potential mortality effect of increased inhaled air pollution doses (0.8-40 days lost) and the increase in traffic accidents (5-9 days lost). Societal benefits are even larger because of a modest reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and traffic accidents. CONCLUSIONS On average, the estimated health benefits of cycling were substantially larger than the risks relative to car driving for individuals shifting their mode of transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Johan de Hartog
- University of Utrecht, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Hoek G, Boogaard H, Knol A, de Hartog J, Slottje P, Ayres JG, Borm P, Brunekreef B, Donaldson K, Forastiere F, Holgate S, Kreyling WG, Nemery B, Pekkanen J, Stone V, Wichmann HE, van der Sluijs J. Concentration response functions for ultrafine particles and all-cause mortality and hospital admissions: results of a European expert panel elicitation. Environ Sci Technol 2010; 44:476-82. [PMID: 19958027 DOI: 10.1021/es9021393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Toxicological studies have provided evidence of the toxicity of ultrafine particles (UFP), but epidemiological evidence for health effects of ultrafines is limited. No quantitative summary currently exists of concentration-response functions for ultrafine particles that can be used in health impact assessment. The goal was to specify concentration-response functions for ultrafine particles in urban air including their uncertainty through an expert panel elicitation. Eleven European experts from the disciplines of epidemiology, toxicology, and clinical medicine selected using a systematic peer-nomination procedure participated. Using individual ratings supplemented with group discussion, probability distributions of effect estimates were obtained for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular and respiratory hospital admissions. Experts judged the small database of epidemiological studies supplemented with experimental studies sufficient to quantify effects of UFP on all-cause mortality and to a lesser extent hospital admissions. Substantial differences in the estimated UFP health effect and its uncertainty were found between experts. The lack of studies on long-term exposure to UFP was rated as the most important source of uncertainty. Effects on hospital admissions were considered more uncertain. This expert elicitation provides the first quantitative evaluation of estimates of concentration response functions between urban air ultrafine particles and all-cause mortality and hospital admissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences and Copernicus Institute, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Strak M, Boogaard H, Meliefste K, Oldenwening M, Zuurbier M, Brunekreef B, Hoek G. Respiratory health effects of ultrafine and fine particle exposure in cyclists. Occup Environ Med 2009; 67:118-24. [PMID: 19773283 DOI: 10.1136/oem.2009.046847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Monitoring studies have shown that commuters are exposed to high air pollution concentrations, but there is limited evidence of associated health effects. We carried out a study to investigate the acute respiratory health effects of air pollution related to commuting by bicycle. METHODS Twelve healthy adults cycled a low- and a high-traffic intensity route during morning rush hour in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution was characterised by measurements of PM(10), soot and particle number. Before, directly after and 6 h after cycling we measured lung function (FEV(1), FVC, PEF), exhaled NO (FE(NO)) and respiratory symptoms. The association between post- minus pre-exposure difference in health effects and exposure during cycling was evaluated with linear regression models. RESULTS The average particle number concentration was 59% higher, while the average soot concentration was 39% higher on the high-traffic route than on the low-traffic route. There was no difference for PM(10). Contrary to our hypothesis, associations between air pollution during cycling and lung function changes immediately after cycling were mostly positive. Six hours after cycling, associations between air pollution exposure and health were mostly negative for lung function changes and positive for changes in exhaled NO, although non-significant. CONCLUSIONS We found substantial differences in ultrafine particle number and soot exposure between two urban cycling routes. Exposure to ultrafine particles and soot during cycling was weakly associated with increased exhaled NO, indicative of airway inflammation, and decrements in lung function 6 h after exposure. A limitation of the study was the relatively small sample size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Strak
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80178, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Knol AB, de Hartog JJ, Boogaard H, Slottje P, van der Sluijs JP, Lebret E, Cassee FR, Wardekker JA, Ayres JG, Borm PJ, Brunekreef B, Donaldson K, Forastiere F, Holgate ST, Kreyling WG, Nemery B, Pekkanen J, Stone V, Wichmann HE, Hoek G. Expert elicitation on ultrafine particles: likelihood of health effects and causal pathways. Part Fibre Toxicol 2009; 6:19. [PMID: 19630955 PMCID: PMC2731037 DOI: 10.1186/1743-8977-6-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2009] [Accepted: 07/24/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Exposure to fine ambient particulate matter (PM) has consistently been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The relationship between exposure to ultrafine particles (UFP) and health effects is less firmly established. If UFP cause health effects independently from coarser fractions, this could affect health impact assessment of air pollution, which would possibly lead to alternative policy options to be considered to reduce the disease burden of PM. Therefore, we organized an expert elicitation workshop to assess the evidence for a causal relationship between exposure to UFP and health endpoints. Methods An expert elicitation on the health effects of ambient ultrafine particle exposure was carried out, focusing on: 1) the likelihood of causal relationships with key health endpoints, and 2) the likelihood of potential causal pathways for cardiac events. Based on a systematic peer-nomination procedure, fourteen European experts (epidemiologists, toxicologists and clinicians) were selected, of whom twelve attended. They were provided with a briefing book containing key literature. After a group discussion, individual expert judgments in the form of ratings of the likelihood of causal relationships and pathways were obtained using a confidence scheme adapted from the one used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Results The likelihood of an independent causal relationship between increased short-term UFP exposure and increased all-cause mortality, hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, aggravation of asthma symptoms and lung function decrements was rated medium to high by most experts. The likelihood for long-term UFP exposure to be causally related to all cause mortality, cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity and lung cancer was rated slightly lower, mostly medium. The experts rated the likelihood of each of the six identified possible causal pathways separately. Out of these six, the highest likelihood was rated for the pathway involving respiratory inflammation and subsequent thrombotic effects. Conclusion The overall medium to high likelihood rating of causality of health effects of UFP exposure and the high likelihood rating of at least one of the proposed causal mechanisms explaining associations between UFP and cardiac events, stresses the importance of considering UFP in future health impact assessments of (transport-related) air pollution, and the need for further research on UFP exposure and health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Knol
- Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
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