[Breathing: Ambient Air Pollution and Health - Part II].

[Breathing: Ambient Air Pollution and Health - Part II]. Pneumologie. 2019 Jun;73(6):347-373 Authors: Schulz H, Karrasch S, Bölke G, Cyrys J, Hornberg C, Pickford R, Schneider A, Witt C, Hoffmann B Abstract The second part of the DGP-statement on adverse health effects of ambient air pollution provides an overview of the current ambient air quality in Germany and its development in the past 20 years. Further, effects of air pollution on the cardiovascular system und underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are introduced. Air pollutants form a highly complex and dynamic system of thousands of organic and inorganic components from natural and anthropogenic sources. The pollutants are produced locally or introduced by long-range transport over hundreds of kilometers and are additionally subjected to local meteorological conditions. According to air quality regulations ambient air quality is monitored under uniform standards including immission of particulate matter, up to 2.5 µm (PM2.5) or 10 µm (PM10) in aerodynamic diameter, and of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) or ozone (O3). The clean air measures of recent years led to a continuous decline of air pollution in the past 20 years in Germany. Accordingly, the focus is nowadays directed at population-related health hazards caused by low concentrations of air pollution. Exceeded limits for sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene and lead are not detected anymore. Also the number of days...
Source: Pneumologie - Category: Respiratory Medicine Tags: Pneumologie Source Type: research