Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified outdoor air pollution and the particulate matter component of outdoor air pollution as class I carcinogen. Air pollution is consistently associated with lung cancer in epidemiologic and experimental studies. The IARC assessment is specifically designed as hazard identification, and it does not quantify the magnitude...

BACKGROUND The question of whether air pollution contributes to asthma onset remains unresolved. OBJECTIVES In this study, we assessed the association between asthma onset in children and traffic-related air pollution. METHODS We selected a sample of 217 children from participants in the Southern California Children's Health Study, a prospective cohort designed to investigate associations b...

Today, air pollution has emerged as a global public health problem and is identified as a major environmental health hazard by agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and governments around the world. An increase in concentration of pollutants both gaseous and solid is among the largest health risk in the world and according to the latest data released by WHO, indoor and outdoor ai...

BACKGROUND Almost half of global child deaths due to acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) occur in sub-Saharan Africa, where three-quarters of the population cook with solid fuels. This study aims to quantify the impact of fuel type and cooking practices on childhood ALRI mortality in Africa, and to explore implications for public health interventions. METHODS Early-release World Health...

BACKGROUND Air pollution has many effects on the health of both adults and children, but children's vulnerability is unique. The aim of this review is to discuss the possible molecular mechanisms linking air pollution and asthma in children, also taking into account their genetic and epigenetic characteristics. RESULTS Air pollutants appear able to induce airway inflammation and increase asth...

How do the concentrations of indoor air pollutants known to increase risk of respiratory disease, cancer, heart disease, and stroke change after a smoke-free workplace law? Real-time measurements were made of respirable particle (RSP) air pollution and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAH), in a casino, six bars, and a pool hall before and after a smoking ban. Secondhand smoke con...

Acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are associated with high mortality and are of unknown cause. The effect of air pollution on exacerbations of interstitial lung disease is unknown. This study aims to define the association of air pollution exposure with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and corresponding air pollu...

PEDIATRIC ASPECTS OF AIR POLLUTION P UBLIC concern regarding air pollution has increased rapidly in recent years. Because air pollution may present special problems in the pediatric age group, available information on the effects of various air pollutants on children has been reviewed with the purpose of: ( 1 ) defining the potential ill effects of air pollution in this age group, (2) making in...