Lung health and outdoor air pollution : a review

Abstract

The lung is one of the interfaces between the body and the exterior environment. The maintenance of lung health depends on several factors, among them one’s genetic makeup, the environment, socioeconomic circumstances and natural ageing. Persons respond differently and uniquely to environmental circumstances, and this often makes the exposure-disease relationship difficult to assess. Air pollution most commonly causes irritation of the respiratory tract, resulting in discomfort, cough and breathlessness. It is also a major factor in exacerbating existing respiratory diseases and may also be the potential cause of lung disorders. The relationships between air pollution, increased incidence of respiratory conditions and severity of airway diseases are well recognized and robustly supported by epidemiological, toxicological and clinical studies. Outdoor air pollution is caused by aerosols and gases in amounts that may affect health, and the major contaminants in urban environments are a wide variety of particulate matter and ozone. Common specific lung disorders are known to be linked with urban air pollution: asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are frequently exacerbated following exposure to contaminated air, while with regard to lung cancer, the relationship is a causal one. Air pollution also poses a significant public health problem and concomitant approaches are necessary in order to improve air quality and to lessen the negative impact of airborne pollution on lung health. Control and mitigation of this problem requires effective health education, and sound preventive strategies through a combined community, administrative and political approach.