Estimated health benefits of exhaust free transport in the city of Malmö, Southern Sweden

Abstract

Air pollution is responsible for one in eight premature deaths worldwide, and thereby a major threat to human health. Health impact assessments of hypothetic changes in air pollution concentrations can be used as a mean of assessing the health impacts of policy, plans and projects, and support decision-makers in choices to prevent disease. The aim of this study was to estimate health impacts attributable to a hypothetical decrease in air pollution concentrations in the city of Malmö in Southern Sweden corresponding to a policy on-road transportations without tail-pipe emissions in the municipality. We used air pollution data modelled for each of the 326,092 inhabitants in Malmö by a Gaussian dispersion model combined with an emission database with >40,000 sources. The dispersion model calculates Nitrogen Oxides (NO) (later transformed into Nitrogen Dioxide (NO)) and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 μg/m (PM) with high spatial and temporal resolution (85 m and 1 h, respectively). The average individual reduction was 5.1 (ranging from 0.6 to 11.8) μg/m in NO which would prevent 55 (2% of all deaths) to 93 (4%) deaths annually, depending on dose-response function used. Furthermore, we estimate that the NO reduction would result in 21 (6%) fewer cases of incident asthma in children, 95 (10%) fewer children with bronchitis every year, 30 (1%) fewer hospital admissions for respiratory disease, 87(4%) fewer dementia cases, and 11(11%) fewer cases of preeclampsia every year. The average reduction in PM of 0.6 (ranging from 0.1 till 1.7) μg/m would mean that 2729 (0.3%) work days would not be lost due to sick-days and that there would be 16,472 fewer restricted activity days (0.3%) that year had all on-road transportations been without tail-pipe emissions. Even though the estimates are sensitive to the dose-response functions used and to exposure misclassification errors, even the most conservative estimate of the number of prevented deaths is 7 times larger than the annual traffic fatalities in Malmö, indicating a substantial possibility to reduce the health burden attributed to tail-pipe emissions in the study area.

Effect of NOx and NO2 Concentration Increase in Ambient Air to Daily Bronchitis and Asthma Exacerbation, Silesian Voivodeship in Poland

“…Moreover, it is well known that traffic-related air pollution (such as NO x , NO 2 , ultra-fine particles) can trigger asthma symptoms in human beings [15]. Current Swedish publication suggests that the implementation of exhaust-free transport would lead to a reduction in NO 2 emission and in consequence to a significant decrease (by 10%) of bronchitis in asthmatic children, even in one of the cleanest region of Europe [16]. Similarly, the results of epidemiological studies in Japan revealed that traffic-related air pollution was associated with the persistence of respiratory disorders such as asthmatic symptoms in preschool children.…”

Urban PM2.5 Induces Cellular Toxicity, Hormone Dysregulation, Oxidative Damage, Inflammation, and Mitochondrial Interference in the HRT8 Trophoblast Cell Line

“…One study estimated that 11% of term low birth weight cases would be avoided if the PM2.5 concentration was reduced by 5 µg/m 3 (58). Another suggests that 11% of all PE cases were attributable to exhaust emissions in Malmö, Sweden (79). Indeed, the PM2.5 used in our present study was collected in real-life conditions in Malmö, Sweden in order to mimic the actual exposure pregnant women face in an urban setting.…”

Through Internet and Friends: Translation of Air Pollution Research in Malmö Municipality, Sweden

“…One of our findings was that up to 4% of all premature deaths could be prevented if all petrol-and diesel-powered vehicles were banned from Malmö [13]. The results of the HIA were published in Malmqvist et al [13] and spread in popular forms in an information folder produced in collaboration between the research team and the Environmental Office [14] and a Youtube video, entitled "The health effect of air pollution from traffic" [15]. The qualitative part of the project presented here focuses on how civil servants, working with air pollution and noise abatement in Malmö municipality, access, process, and apply research results and other sources of information in their everyday work.…”

“…The HIA also estimated the societal costs of pollution and of lowered costs when mitigating hazards. One of our findings was that up to 4% of all premature deaths could be prevented if all petrol-and diesel-powered vehicles were banned from Malmö [13]. The results of the HIA were published in Malmqvist et al [13] and spread in popular forms in an information folder produced in collaboration between the research team and the Environmental Office [14] and a Youtube video, entitled "The health effect of air pollution from traffic" [15].…”