Burden of Mortality and Disease Attributable to Multiple Air Pollutants in Warsaw, Poland

Abstract

Air pollution is a significant public health issue all over the world, especially in urban areas where a large number of inhabitants are affected. In this study, we quantify the health burden due to local air pollution for Warsaw, Poland. The health impact of the main air pollutants, PM, NOX, SO2, CO, C6H6, BaP and heavy metals is considered. The annual mean concentrations are predicted with the CALPUFF air quality modeling system using the year 2012 emission and meteorological data. The emission field comprises point, mobile and area sources. The exposure to these pollutants was estimated using population data with a spatial resolution of 0.5 × 0.5 km2. Changes in mortality and in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were estimated with relative risk functions obtained from literature. It has been predicted that local emissions cause approximately 1600 attributable deaths and 29,000 DALYs per year. About 80% of the health burden was due to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Mobile and area sources contributed 46% and 52% of total DALYs, respectively. When the inflow from outside was included, the burden nearly doubled to 51,000 DALYs. These results indicate that local decisions can potentially reduce associated negative health effects, but a national-level policy is required for reducing the strong environmental impact of PM emissions.

Gaseous Pollutants and Particulate Matter (PM) in Ambient Air and the Number of New Cases of Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland

“…e particulate matter also increases the risk of depressive disorders and suicides [31]. e modelling results indicate that air pollution causes 2800 deaths a year in Warsaw [32]. Moreover, in epidemiological studies conducted in Cracow by Konduracka et al a correlation was found between air pollution with PM 2.5 and the incidence of myocardial infarction [33].…”

Oxidative Stress Markers Differ in Two Placental Dysfunction Pathologies: Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension and Intrauterine Growth Restriction

“…In the Warsaw population, the weighted exposure of NOx is 3.54 μ g/m 3 , PM (2.5)—16.84 μ g/m 3 , Pb—15 ng/m 3 , benzo(a)pyrene—1.95 ng/m 3 , and other metals (As, Cd, Ni)—6.1 ng/m 3 . The degree of pollution strongly depends on which region in Warsaw (with the highest values at the left side of the Vistula River) and what part of the year—with the highest pollution in the winter time [ 62 ].…”

Intra-urban variability of the intake fraction from multiple emission sources

“…Air quality in Warsaw is mainly determined by two categories of emission sources, the domestic combustion and the traffic. These are the principal sources of particulate matter (PM), including its fine fraction – PM 2.5 , which is mainly responsible for air pollution-associated mortality ( Wang et al, 2016 ; WHO, 2016 ; Holnicki et al, 2017b ). The coal combustion is the main energy source (electricity/heat) in Poland (85%).…”

“…Fig. 2 presents the population density map for Warsaw (Holnicki et al, 2017b), which was compiled on the basis of the home addresses for the same grid as that used in the air quality model. Movement of people was not taken into account.

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