Mitigating the Impact of Air Pollution on Human Health

T he biological mechanisms associated with air pollution health effects are remarkably different from the health effects resulting from exposures to chemicals in water, soil, and food.The inhalation of very small concentrations of air pollutants leads to localized oxidative stress and inflammation in the lung, as well as systemic changes in the human body resulting from cytokine and chemokine signaling to virtually all organs in the human body. 1 The combination of localized impacts in the lung and systemic impacts across the human body results in significant air pollution health impacts, including respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, neurological disease metabolic disorders, autoimmune disorders, cancer, and reproductive disease.Globally, ambient air pollution plus household air pollution is estimated to contribute to 7.9 million deaths per year, which is the second highest attributable risk factor for death after high blood pressure. 2Even in high-income countries, which generally have much lower air pollution levels than lower income countries, air pollution is estimated to cause