title: Adverse health effects of outdoor air pollutants.
abstract: Much research on the health effects of outdoor air pollution has been published in the last decade. The goal of this review is to concisely summarize a wide range of the recent research on health effects of many types of outdoor air pollution. A review of the health effects of major outdoor air pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, acid gases, metals, volatile organics, solvents, pesticides, radiation and bioaerosols is presented. Numerous studies have linked atmospheric pollutants to many types of health problems of many body systems including the respiratory, cardiovascular, immunological, hematological, neurological and reproductive/ developmental systems. Some studies have found increases in respiratory and cardiovascular problems at outdoor pollutant levels well below standards set by such agencies as the US EPA and WHO. Air pollution is associated with large increases in medical expenses, morbidity and is estimated to cause about 800,000 annual premature deaths worldwide [Cohen, A.J., Ross Alexander, H., Ostro, B., Pandey, K.D., Kryzanowski, M., Kunzail, N., et al., 2005. The global burden of disease due to outdoor air pollution. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 68: 1-7.]. Further research on the health effects of air pollution and air pollutant abatement methods should be very helpful to physicians, public health officials, industrialists, politicians and the general public.
authors.affiliation: Medical Student, Norwegian American Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, United States. LukeTCurtis@aol.com
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smith-Willis
authors.forename: Ervin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fenyves
authors.forename: Yaqin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants