10 - Air Pollution: Health Impacts and Mitigation

• 8.1 million total deaths were attributed to air pollution in 2021.
• Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) is a fine inhalable particle with diameters generally 2.5 mm and smaller.
• 709,000 deaths of children under five were linked to air pollution.
• Air pollution is the 2nd ranking risk factor that drives the most deaths and disability combined in the Philippines.
• Lifestyle changes and individual habit improvements can address other ranked factors.
• Action for air pollution requires collaboration between stakeholders at more than just an individual level to ensure safe air.

Co-Benefits of Air Pollution and Climate Change Mitigation

• Addressing climate change pollutants also addresses air pollutants because they come from the same sources.
• Addressing waste issues also addresses the air pollutants that arise from it.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

• It's the quality of air within and around buildings and structures
• Exposure to indoor pollutants can have short-term health impacts
• Prolonged exposure to pollutants may lead to serious conditions
• Primary causes are sources that release gases or particles into the air with insufficient ventilation.

Why IAQ Needs Monitoring

• Humans spend 80-90% of their time in indoors.
• Prevents exposure to harmful pollutants, which can cause respiratory problems and other health issues
• Helps identify harmful substances such as radon, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Allows for early intervention before health symptoms develop
• It detects pollutants such as particulate matter, carbon dioxide.
• It enables data-based decision-making, tracking pollutant levels over time to identify patterns, trends and potential sources

Technologies for Effective AQ Monitoring

• Reference instruments are considered the gold standard, providing the most accurate quantification of air pollutants.
• They require more resources, space, power supply, and highly technical personnel.
• Non-reference instruments have become more popular in the last decade due to its availability and rapid technological innovations.
• Personal or portable devices are non-reference instruments used for measuring personal exposures.
• They're compact, lightweight, and designed to measure air quality exposure in real-time for individual use or specific locations.

Real Time vs Periodic Monitoring

• Real-time monitoring involves continuous monitors, providing real-time visibility with sensory systems that simultaneously measure multiple parameters, enabling immediate action and requiring regular calibration.
• Periodic monitoring involves spot testing using specialized sampling equipment, which involves specific pollutant detection and parameter measurement, and delayed response.

Common IAQ Parameters

• Pollutants affecting indoor air quality and their sources of emission are:
  • Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): Fossil fuel combustion, leading to acute bronchial activity.
  • Carbon Monoxide (CO): Tobacco smoke, stoves, causing low birth weight and increased perinatal deaths.
  • Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Combustion & metabolic activities, motor vehicle in garages, leading to headaches, sleepiness, and poor concentration
  • Radon: Insulation causing lung cancer
  • Ozone: photochemical reaction causing airway irritation and lung damage

Air Quality (AQ) Guidelines

• Air quality standards (AQS) prescribe the acceptable level of AQ adopted by a regulatory authority as enforceable.
• WHO AQ sets evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants that can help countries achieve AQ that protects public health

Practical Mitigation Solutions for IAQ

• Source Control:
  • Aims for reducing emissions and selecting appliances with low emissions
• Ventilation:
  • Employs natural/mechanical ventilation and kitchen range hoods

Effects of Poor IAQ in Hospitals

• Poor IAQ impacts vulnerable patients, especially can impact those with respiratory illnesses
• Exposure might increase the risk of infection and extend hospital stays.
• It raises the risk of hospital-acquired infection
• Impacts healthcare workers, who may experience respiratory problems, headaches, and fatigue related to indoor air pollutants

Improving IAQ in Schools

• Researchers that conducted two experimental campaigns in seven classrooms within public educational institutions in Romania, concluded implementing mechanical ventilation systems significantly improves indoor air quality by reducing CO2 and particulate matter levels
• The continuous monitoring & targeted interventions are important for improving air quality in educational settings

Improving IAQ in the Workplace

• A pilot study in McAllen, South Texas, revealed higher concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and total volatile organic compounds (tVOC) in home environments during remote work, which led to increased sick building syndrome symptoms.
• Good IAQ in home offices is important to safeguard employee health, particularly with the rise of remote working conditions.