ADVANCEMENT OF THE SCIENCE
Open Access
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
Exposure to Contaminants During Active Transport in Uruguay and the Effect on Health Parameters
related air pollutants—such as elemental carbon, nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), and fine particulate matter—can cause cardiovascular diseases, brain diseases, and asthma (HEI, 2022). Exposure to PM 10 , PM 2.5 , and NO 2 has also been associated with human mortality (Orellano et al., 2020). Risks from environ- mental exposure to air pollutants, however, depend on the concentrations of the pollut- ants, the inhalation rate of exposed persons, and exposure time (Okokon et al., 2017; Targino et al., 2018). In urban environments, the spatial distri- bution of air pollution is not homogeneous. Additionally, epidemiological studies indicate that patterns of spatial eects of air pollution within a city are important for public health, and health outcomes can be improved by reducing levels of air pollutants (Hankey et al., 2017; Schraufnagel et al., 2019). Transit micro-environments constitute important sites of exposure to atmospheric pollutants, mainly for people who use active means of transport and thus travel next to pollutant emitters such as cars, buses, and trucks (Farrell et al., 2015). Even though short-term lung function has been reported to increase in response to physi- cal activity (4.5 times more in people cycling versus driving a car), this beneficial eect is hampered when there are high levels of air pollution (Laeremans et al., 2018). Exposure Valentina Colistro, PhD Department of Quantitative Methods, School of Medicine, University of the Republic Mauro D’Angelo, PhD Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Environmental Engineering, University of the Republic Elizabeth Gonzalez, PhD Ignacio Franchi, Eng Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Environmental Engineering, University of the Republic Ana Clara Vera, Arch Unibici Program, University of the Republic Alicia Alemán, MD Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of the Republic
b>?r-/? Air pollutants can have a substantial impact on health. Particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) can penetrate the respiratory system and produce inflammation; chronic exposure can damage lung tissue. Several environmental and daily habits have been reported to increase the risk of disease and adverse health conditions. We carried out a study to assess the importance and e ect of these factors on human health. The objective was to measure exposure to environmental pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 , nitrogen dioxide, and noise) by studying cyclists in Montevideo, Uruguay. We measured environmental pollutants on two urban routes with high and low values of the environmental variables and biometrics of participating cyclists. No significant di erences were found between routes. Our results suggest that active transport benefits seem to outweigh health risks in Montevideo for the sampled cycling routes. Our study provides knowledge about characteristics of the environment, which is an important input when planning where to place bikeways in Montevideo. Keywords: environmental pollutants, bicycling, cycling, health, carbon monoxide, air quality
Introduction Air pollutants can have a substantial impact on health, both in indoor and outdoor envi- ronments (Lopez, 2012). In a 2019 ranking of the global burden of disease, particulate air pollution ranked 8th in terms of years of healthy life lost due to disability, which glob- ally contributes to 53.5 deaths per 100,000 population. Furthermore, particulate air pol- lution is estimated to contribute to a decrease of almost 9 months of life expectancy on average in Europe (Nieuwenhuijsen, 2016). An individual’s reaction to these environmen- tal exposures, however, can vary depending
on sex, socioeconomic status, educational level, race, and other factors. In cities, exposure to air pollutants and noise has been associated with adverse health eects (Health Eects Institute [HEI], 2022; Nieu- wenhuijsen, 2016). Particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) from soot and smoke can penetrate the respiratory system, producing inflamma- tion. Chronic exposure to particulate air pol- lution can damage lung tissue. If the particles reach the bloodstream, they can also damage the tissues of other organs in the human body. A systematic review of epidemiologi- cal studies showed that exposure to trac-
16
Volume 87 • Number 1
Powered by FlippingBook