Health impacts of the Southeast Asian haze problem – A time-stratified case crossover study of the relationship between ambient air pollution and sudden cardiac deaths in Singapore

The Relationship Between Air Pollution and All-Cause Mortality in Singapore

“…The association between air pollution and mortality found in our study could possibly be attributed to an intermix of upper and lower respiratory tract infection and inflammation, allergic and hyperimmune reactions, oncologic implications, cardiovascular diseases, and distributed complications throughout the body, as mechanisms contributing to the degradation of health. In our previous studies, we similarly found an elevated risk of stroke [25], acute myocardial infarction [19], and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest [11] after exposure to unhealthy PSI ranges. Notably, airborne particulates are classified as Group 1 carcinogens by the WHO (World Health Organization) and IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), due to their ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstreams unfiltered; while the PM 10 and PM 2.5 particulates encompassed within the PSI metric are medically dangerous as thoracic and respirable particles, their presence might reasonably be correlated with submicron particles of even greater penetration.…”

“…It is well established that both long-term [2] and short-term [3][4][5] exposure to ambient air pollution impact mortality, in particular cardiovascular and respiratory mortality. Although the deleterious effects of air pollution have been demonstrated in many Western countries [6][7][8], there are fewer comparable studies conducted in Asia [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Meanwhile, air quality remains a major problem in Asian cities, with effects on cardiovascular and respiratory mortality noted in time-series data [9,15,16], along with significant public health implications [17].…”

“…Previous studies in Singapore suggest that during periods of haze, outpatient attendances for haze-related conditions such as respiratory tract illness rise [22,23] and inpatient admissions increase [24]. Time-series studies have demonstrated an association between haze exposure and acute ischemic stroke [25], acute myocardial infarction [19] as well as cardiac arrest [11]. Studies in similar urbanized Asian settings have demonstrated associations between particulate matter air pollution and short-term mortality [15,26].…”

Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibrous Membranes for Point‐of‐Use Water and Air Cleaning

“…Water and air pollution are increasing concern all over the world as a risk of human health . Air pollution can cause asthma, skin irritation, nausea, cancer, brain damage, birth defects, respiratory and heart problems due to gaseous pollutants and particulate matter (PM) . Based on inhalable particle size, PM is classified into coarse (2.5–10 μm), fine (0.1–2.5 μm) and ultrafine (<0.1 μm) .…”

“…[1][2][3] Air pollution can cause asthma, skin irritation, nausea, cancer, brain damage, birth defects, respiratory and heart problems due to gaseous pollutants and particulate matter (PM). [4][5][6][7][8] Based on inhalable particle size, PM is classified into coarse (2.5-10 μm), fine (0.1-2.5 μm) and ultrafine (< 0.1 μm). [9] Exposure to elevated PM levels over the long term can reduce life expectancy by a few years while short-term exposure contributes to acute cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.…”