Air pollution consists of both gaseous and particulate-matter pollutants. The former include nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and sulphur dioxide (SO2). The latter consist of particulate matter of varying aerodynamic diameter, as defined by cutoff points—for example, particles with diameters of ,10 mm (PM10) or ,2.5 mm (PM2.5). Because of their small size, these particles can be inhaled deep...

OBJECTIVE Air pollution has been investigated as a potential determinant for low birthweight. The aim of the present study was to study the effect of air pollution on birthweight. METHODS We analyzed all deliveries by mothers living in the municipality of Sao Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between 1998 and 2000. We estimated the prevalence of low birthweight according to newborn, mother, and del...

BACKGROUND Preterm birth is a major perinatal health problem, but factors leading to it are still not completely understood. OBJECTIVES Our goal was to identify the relation between acute increase in ambient air pollution in a few hours before onset of labor and the risk of preterm birth. METHODS We collected registered birth outcome data and hourly ambient air pollution measurements during...

Nitrogen oxides, released from fossil fuel use and other combustion processes, affect air quality and climate. From the mid-1990s onward, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has been monitored from space, and since 2004 with relatively high spatial resolution by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument. Strong upward NO2 trends have been observed over South and East Asia and the Middle East, in particular over major...

There is limited evidence that long-term exposure to ambient air pollution increases the risk of childhood autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The objective of the study was to investigate the associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and newly diagnostic ASD in Taiwan. We conducted a population-based cohort of 49,073 children age less than 3 years in 2000 that were retrieved from Ta...

BACKGROUND Very little is currently known about air pollutants' adverse effects on neurodegenerative diseases even though recent studies have linked particulate exposures to brain pathologies associated with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. OBJECTIVE In the present study, we investigated long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and Parkinson's disease. METHODS In a case-contr...

Air pollution is one of the leading global public health risks but its magnitude in many developing countries' cities is not known. We aimed to measure the concentration of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3) pollutants in two Ugandan cities (Kampala and Jinja). PM2.5, O3, temperature and humidity were measur...