Environment & Human Health, Inc.

The Harmful Effects of Vehicle Exhaust

Vehicle Exhaust Effects
Summary of Findings

• Air Pollution and Human Health
  Scientific experts now believe the nation faces an epidemic of illnesses that are exacerbated by air pollution. These illnesses include cardiovascular disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and diabetes.
• Children at Special Risk
  The American Academy of Pediatrics has concluded that levels of ozone and particulate matter are high enough in many parts of the U.S. to threaten children’s health. Eleven million U.S. children live in areas that exceed one or more federal air quality standards; 9 million children live in areas where ozone standards are exceeded; 3.5 million children live in areas where the particulate standards are exceeded, and 2.8 million children live in counties where the carbon monoxide standard is exceeded.
• Elderly at Special Risk
  Cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer are all ill-nesses disproportionately borne by the elderly. Nearly one-half million Connecticut residents are over 65 years of age.
• Asthma
  Chemicals in vehicle exhaust are harmful to asthmatics. Exhaust can adversely affect lung function and may promote allergic reactions and airway constriction. All vehicles, especially diesel engines, emit very fine particles that deeply penetrate lungs and inflame the circulatory system, damaging cells and causing respiratory problems. (Even short-term exposure to vehicle exhaust may harm asthmatics. Asthmatic children are particularly sensitive to air pollution. New England states have some of the highest asthma rates in the country. About 9 percent of Connecticut’s youth have the disease. Inhalation of vehicle emissions, even for short periods, may be harmful to asthmatics. One study found that children are 40 percent more likely to have an attack on high outdoor pollution days.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
  Vehicle emissions are particularly harmful to people afflicted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), such as chronic bronchitis. Significant and replicated associations have been found between increased ozone levels and a range of adverse effects on the lungs, and several studies have shown increased risk of hospital admission from COPD associated with high ozone levels. There is also a relationship between the levels of PM10 and morbidity (17) in patients with COPD. These associations were noted in Philadelphia, where the major source of these particles is motor vehicles. Fine particle matter is especially harmful to people with COPD and has been found to increase their hospital admission rates. High levels of PM10 are also associated with increased morbidity among those with the illness.
• Cardiovascular Disease
  Mortality and hospital admissions for myocardial infarction, congestive cardiac failure and cardiac arrhythmia increase with a rise in the concentrations of particulate and gaseous pollutants. As concentrations of airborne particles increase, those with cardiovascular disease may experience increasing severity of symptoms, rates of hospitalization, and mortality. The risk of having a heart attack is greater for people exposed to pollution from heavy traffic, as well as for those living near air-polluted roadways.
• Cancer
  Vehicles emit numerous carcinogenic chemicals. Diesel contains benzene, formaldehyde, and 1,3-butadiene—all three are well recognized carcinogens. EPA estimates that vehicle emissions account for as many as half of all cancers attributed to outdoor air pollution.
• Diabetes
  Increasing levels of air pollution are associated with rising mortality rates among diabetics. Because of the overlap between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the nature of this association is not yet clear.
• Air Pollution Increases Mortality Among Susceptible Groups
  Air pollution kills more Americans than breast and prostate cancers combined, and the premature deaths associated with particulate matter pollution alone are comparable to deaths from traffic accidents. Air pollution is a serious and growing threat to the health of Connecticut residents. We estimate that nearly one million of Connecticut’s 3.5 million residents experience one or more of these illnesses, some without knowing it.

http://www.ehhi.org/reports/exhaust/summary.shtml