Exposure to airborne pollutants – experience from Danish studies
OleHertel1,2, Steen S. Jensen1, Matthias Ketzel1, Thomas Becker1, Robert G. Peel1,3, Pia
Viuf1,4, Carsten A. Skjøth1,5, Thomas Ellermann1, Ole Raaschou-Nielsen6, Mette
Sørensen6, Elvira V. Bräuner6, Zorana J. Andersen6, Steffen Loft7, Vivi Schlünssen4, Jakob
Bønløkke4, and Torben Sigsgaard4
1Department
of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, DK
Environmental, Social & Spatial Change, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000 Roskilde, DK
3National Pollen and Aerobiology research Unit, University of Worcester, UK
4Dep. of Public Health, Unit of Env. & Occ. Medicine, Aarhus University, Bartolins Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus C
5Dep. for Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
6Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen East, DK
7Dep. for Public Health, Section Env. Health, Uni. of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1014 CPH K, DK
E-mail contact: Ole.Hertel@dmu.dk
2Dep.
1. Introduction
Danish air pollutant (AP) levels are generally moderate due to windy climate and moderate emissions [1].
Despite this, DK epidemiological studies points at severe negative adverse health effects: stroke [1,2], lung
cancer [3], COPD [4], asthma in adults [6], wheeze in infants {7,8], asthma hospital admission in children [9],
oxidative stress in blood DNA [10], vascular function in elderly [11], AP enhance effects of radon on
childhood leukaemia [12], and most recently diabetes[13]. These findings have been possible due to access
to precise health data and advanced exposure assessment methods. Unique population and health registries
in DK allow detailed health impact assessments to be carried out.
2. Materials and methods
For assessing exposures, a GIS based modelling system, AirGIS (www.AirGIS.dk), has been developed [14].
AirGIS is originally aimed for traffic air pollution, but is under steady improvement and development [15,16]
e.g. also to handle other pollutant emissions. The central part is Operational Street Pollution Model
(OSPM)[17], currently applied in >17 countries worldwide [18]. Within the Danish research centre
AIRPOLIFE (www.airpolife.dk), the AirGIS system was applied for exposure assessment for a variety of DK
cohorts including the diet, cancer, & health cohort of 50,000 people. Measurements from the DK AP
monitoring programmes and AirGIS calculations on address level have been used as exposure proxies in a
series of publications to evaluate various negative health outcomes. The later were based either on data
from health registers or biomarker measurements. Wood smoke is the largest source of particles emissions
in Denmark, and health effects have been studied in chamber experiments [19], but not yet in
epidemiological studies.
Emission
Traffic
Trafficloads
loads
Composition
Composition
Speed
Speed
Cold
Coldstart
start
Other
Othersources
sources
Ambient
levels
Exposure
Meteorology
Transformation
Topography
Street
configuration
Background
concentrations
Demography
Time-activity
patterns
Microenvironments
Indoor/outdoor
Dose
Physiology
Activity level
Health
effect
Dose response
3. Perspectives
Wood smoke and emissions of aeroallergens (e.g. pollen, fungal spores, free allergens etc) from either
agricultural activities or from vegetation are among the future aims for further development of AirGIS. Air
pollution is believed to increase allergenic potential of airborne pollen [20] and risk of new sensitisation [21].
Traditionally, monitoring of aeroallergens is performed solely through sparse networks. Recent field studies
have investigated exposure variability across an urban environment, and related chamber experiments have
been applied to dose-response relationships for asthmatic people. Modelling strategies used in air pollution
monitoring are currently being modified for aeroallergens, where the long-term goal is to incorporate
aeroallergens within the AirGIS.
4. Conclusions
The Danish AirGIS system has proven to be a very strong tool in assessment of negative health effects of air
pollution. This is seen in the fact that statistically significant associations are found between AirGIS address
level air pollution exposure and health effects, and that these associations are stronger than what has
previously been found when measurements from routine monitoring programmes have been used as
exposure proxies.
5. References
[1] Hertel O, Goodsite ME. Urban Air Pollution Climate Through out the World. In: Hester RE, Harrison RM,
editors. Air Quality in Urban Environments. Cambrigde: RSC Publishing; 2009. 1-22.
[2] Andersen ZJ et al. Traffic Related Air Pollution Associated with Mild Stroke Hospital Admissions in
Copenhagen, Denmark. Epidemiology 2009; 20(6):S28-S29.
[3] Andersen ZJ et al. Association between short-term exposure to ultrafine particles and hospital admissions
for stroke in Copenhagen, Denmark. European Heart Journal 2010; 31(16):2034-2040.
[4] Raaschou-Nielsen O et al. Air Pollution from Traffic and Risk for Lung Cancer in Three Danish Cohorts.
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 2010; 19(5):1284-1291.
[5] Andersen ZJ et al. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Long-Term Exposure to Traffic-related Air
Pollution A Cohort Study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2011; 183(4):455-461.
[6] Andersen ZJ et al. Long-term exposure to air pollution and asthma hospitalizations in elderly adults: a
cohort study. In print for Thorax 2012.
[7] Andersen ZJ et al. Time Series Study of Air Pollution Health Effects in COPSAC Children. 1005, -64.
2005. Copenhagen, DK, Danish EPA. Technical report in the series “Miljøprojekt”.
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[9] Iskandar A et al.Coarse and fine, but not ultrafine particles in urban air trigger asthma hospitalizations in
children. In print for Thorax 2011.
[10] Bräuner EV et al. Exposure to Ultrafine Particles from Ambient Air and Oxidative Stress-Induced DNA
Damage. Environmental Health Perspectives 2007; 115(8):1177-1182.
(11) Brauner EV et al. Indoor particles affect vascular function in the aged - An air filtration-based
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and long-term exposure to air pollution: a cohort study. In press for Diabetes Care 2012.
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(19) Riddervold IS et al. Wood smoke in a controlled exposure experiment with human volunteers. Inhalation
Toxicology 2011; 23(5):277-288.
(20) D'Amato G et al. Allergenic pollen and pollen allergy in Europe. Allergy 2007; 62(9):976-990.
(21) Diaz-Sanchez D, Garcia MP, Wang M, Jyrala M, Saxon A. Nasal challenge with diesel exhaust particles
can induce sensitization to a neoallergen in the human mucosa. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
1999; 104(6):1183-1188.