The Effects of Air Pollution on Cardiovascular Health Alex Behram
Abstract: Research indicates that that air pollution can have adverse effects on cardiovascular health. This paper evaluates the different types of air pollutants: gaseous pollutants, particulate matter, and metals, their sources, and the potential health hazards they pose to our cardiovascular health. Introduction: Air pollution comes from a variety of different sources, including a mix of natural and human-generated emissions. Most of the air pollution we face comes from either vehicular sources, such as cars, planes, and trains, or stationary sources, such as power plants and other industrial facilities. Other sources of pollution, such as those created by agricultural work or those created by natural events like wildfires, are much less significant and do not create ongoing air pollution problems.1 Air Pollution is made up of various primary pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO), as well as secondary pollutants such as ozone (O3). Air pollution also contains volatile and semivolatile organic aerosol compounds such as benzene, toluene, xylene, 1,3-butadiene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.iii Particulate matter (PM) in the air is categorized into 3 categories: coarse particles (aerodynamic-mass median diameter, <10 μm [PM10]), fine particles (<2.5 μm [PM2.5]), and ultrafine particles (<0.1 μm [PM0.1]).iii Additionally, toxic metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium are also emitted into the air in industrial settings.iii
CVD is the leading cause of death globally, accounting for upwards of 30% of all global deaths each year.2 Recent studies have suggested that gaseous pollutants, PM, and metals are all dangerous parts of air pollution which can have detrimental health risks, most notably an increased risk for Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).3 A study done by the Global Burden of Disease found that pollution was responsible for 9 million deaths in 2019, with 61.9% of those deaths caused by CVD. The two primary types of CVD associated with pollution are ischemic heart disease, which contributed to 31.7% of the CVD deaths related to pollution in 2019, and stroke, which contributed to 27.7% of the deaths related to pollution in 2019.iii Although studies have verified the effects of these compounds on increasing the risk of CVD, more research must be done to understand the mechanisms by which these compounds cause an increased risk of CVD. Gaseous Pollutants: Gaseous pollutants commonly come from mobile and industrial sources. Primary gaseous pollutants, such as NOx, SO2, and CO are toxic on their own; however, they are also used in the formation of O3. The primary gaseous pollutants undergo a photochemical reaction with sunlight, volatile organic compounds, and other gaseous precursors to form ozone (See Figure 1).4
Figure 1: This graphic depicts the photochemical reaction in the atmosphere with primary gaseous pollutants and volatile organic compounds to form ozone.5
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