CSU Mapping the US Counties where Traffic Air Pollution Hurts Children the Most Report

(First source)
Mapping the US Counties where Traffic Air Pollution
Hurts Children the Most
Haneen Khreis
#health #science #climatechange #systemanalysis #research
“TrafficJam-scott-color” by MPCA Photos is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
In the U.S., over 6 million children had ongoing asthma in 2016. Globally, asthma kills
around 1,000 people every day – and its prevalence is rising.
This condition has a high economic cost. Each year in the U.S., more than US$80 billion
is lost because of asthma. This is mainly due to premature deaths, medical payments
and missed work and school days. The burden is higher for families with asthmatic
children, who, on average, spend $1,700 more on health care than families with healthy
children.
One major environmental factor that might contribute to the development of asthma is
air pollution from traffic. In our study, published on April 3, our team mapped where in
the U.S. children are most at risk for developing asthma from this type of pollution.
Traffic and asthma
Asthma is likely the most common chronic disease in childhood, according to the World
Health Organization.
Asthma presents as episodes of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath due to the
reversible, or partially reversible, obstruction of airflow. Six in 10 of children with asthma
worldwide had a form of persistent asthma, meaning that either they were on long-term
medication or their condition could not be controlled even with medication.
Traffic pollution contains a mixture of harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides, carbon
monoxide, particulate matter, benzene and sulfur. These pollutants are known to harm
health in many ways, causing a number of cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological
diseases.
One 2013 review suggested that long-term exposure to common traffic-related air
pollutants is linked to the development of asthma in children and adults.
A much larger meta-analysis in 2017, which focused on children and included more
recently published studies, found consistent connections between this type of pollution
and childhood asthma development. The researchers concluded that there is now
sufficient evidence showing a relationship between this type of pollution and the onset
of childhood asthma.
Studies from the nonprofit research group Health Effects Institute and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency have concluded along these lines.
Mapping the problem
Despite this emerging evidence, the burden of childhood asthma due to traffic-related
air pollution is poorly documented. Very few studies explore the geographic and spatial
variations.
My research team wanted to quantify the connection between exposure to traffic
pollution and the onset of childhood asthma across 48 U.S. states and the District of
Columbia. We also wanted to make these data open to the public.
In our analysis, we looked at 70 million kids and conducted all calculations at the
census block level, the smallest available geographical unit for census data. We
collaborated with researchers from the University of Washington, who modeled the
concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, a strong sign of traffic-related air pollution, using
satellite imagery combined with environmental ground monitoring data.
We then took data extracted from surveys by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, estimating childhood asthma incidence in the U.S. Alongside data from our
air pollution models, we used these data to estimate the number of childhood asthma
cases caused by exposure to traffic pollution.
We then created a first-of-its-kind, county-by-county interactive heat map and city-bycity table detailing the distribution of childhood asthma due to nitrogen dioxide across
the U.S. in both 2000 and 2010. Each county is represented, and users can explore the
data to see the findings for a particular county.
Screenshot from interactive map. CC BY
A win for public health
Our analysis found that childhood asthma cases attributable to traffic pollution across
the U.S. decreased, on average, by 33% between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, we
estimated that 209,100 childhood asthma cases could be attributed to traffic pollution,
while this number dropped to 141,900 cases in 2010. That’s a major win for public
health.
What caused the decline in traffic-related asthma cases? There may be multiple
causes, including more fuel-efficient vehicles, more stringent regulation on nitrogen
oxide emissions and, potentially, reductions in total vehicle miles traveled due to the
recession.
Despite this encouraging decrease in air pollution and its associated health burden,
there were 141,900 childhood asthma cases due to traffic-related air pollution in the
U.S. That’s 18% of all childhood asthma cases.
Moreover, we found that children living in urban areas had twice the percentage of
asthma cases attributable to nitrogen dioxide exposures as compared to children living
in rural areas.
Our estimates underline an urgent need to reduce children’s exposure to air pollution.
We hope that our analyses and heat maps will better inform policymakers,
transportation agencies, medical associations and anyone else interested in learning
more about the burden of childhood asthma due to air pollution.
Haneen Khreis is an Assistant Research Professor at Texas A&M University with an
interest in the health impacts of transport planning and policy. Her article is
reprinted from The Conversation.
Mapping the US counties where traffic air pollution hurts children the most by
Haneen Khreis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0
International License.
(second source)
October 15, 2014
Climate ChangeChallenges and
Opportunities for Global Health
Jonathan A. Patz, MD, MPH1,2,3; Howard Frumkin, MD, DrPH4; Tracey Holloway, PhD2,5; et al
Other Climate Health and Societal Impacts
Variation in precipitation, including increased severe rainfall events and increased
frequency of droughts could create major risks or could have major consequences. Too
little rainfall creates “dust bowl” conditions and worsens particulate matter exposure.
Too much rainfall can overwhelm sewage systems, leading to increased waterborne
diseases. Too much or too little can destroy crops.123
From 2003 to 2012, an average of 115 000 people died each year due to natural
disasters.124 For every person killed by natural disaster, an estimated 1000 people are
affected physically, mentally, or materially, through loss of property or
livelihood.125 Floods are the most common severe weather event worldwide, and the
frequency of river floods has been increasing.126 Conservative estimates report 2.8
billion people were affected by floods between 1980 and 2009, with 500 000 cumulative
deaths estimated, even as death rates declined.127
Uncertainty exists over whether hurricane frequency might increase, but evidence
suggests that extreme hurricanes (categories 4 and 5) may occur more frequently.1,128130 Sea level rise will exacerbate storm surges, worsen coastal erosion, and inundate
low-lying areas. Salinization of aquifers most likely will augment challenges to coastal
settlements.
Health Effects of Social Disruption and Civil Conflict
In developing regions, climate-related disasters may trigger broad dislocations, often to
places ill prepared for refugees who are overwhelmed by undernutrition and stress.
Displaced groups commonly experience violence, sexual abuse, and mental illness. 131
Increasing, but still inconclusive, evidence links climate change and violence, 132 from
self-inflicted and interpersonal harm to armed conflict. A 2013 meta-analysis found that
each standard deviation of increased rainfall or warmer temperatures increases
likelihood of intergroup conflict by 14% on average.133 The Center for Naval Analysis,
military advisory board, comprising retired generals, warned that climate change could
catalyze instability and conflict.134

Purchase answer to see full
attachment