Non-Respiratory Health Hazards of Particulate Matter



Poursafa P¹ ; Kelishadi R²
Source: Particulate Matter: Sources, Emission Rates and Health Effects Published:2012

Abstract

Particulate matter or PM consists of a heterogeneous mixture of very small particlesand liquid droplets suspended in air. The size of particles in PM is directly linked to theirpotential to cause health problems. Particles with diameter = 10 μm are the particles thatgenerally pass through the throat and nose and enter the lungs. Then, they can affectdifferent body organs, and may cause serious health effects.Usually respiratory harms of PM are reported, however the importance of the nonrespiratoryhealth hazards should be highlighted, as well. In addition to short-termeffects, exposure to PM from early life might be associated with low birth weight,increase in oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction, which in turn might have longtermeffects on chronic non-communicable diseases.Environmental protection actions, notably for reducing the emission of PM, shouldbe considered for public health measures taken into account for primordial/primaryprevention of chronic diseases, especially in developing countries.Some studies have documented the effect of PM on inflammatory and prothromboticfactors implicated in the progression of cardiovascular diseases. In particular,the increase of platelet count and platelet hyper-reactivity towards agonists are emergingas markers of hematologic and hemostatic changes in response to the exposure to airpollutants.Considering the emerging epidemic of chronic disease in low-and middle-incomecountries, the vicious cycle of rapid urbanization and increasing levels of air pollution,public health and regulatory policies for air quality protection should be integrated into the main priorities of the primary health care system and into the educational curriculumof health professionals. © 2012 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.