The impact of air pollution on human health

INTRODUCTION:

The impact of air pollution is an issue of vital importance in the climate and the environment. The intercontinental transport and hemispheric ozone pollution affects ecosystems and have a strong impact on climate change. According to a recent study by the European Environment Agency, air pollution is the environmental factor with the greatest impact on health in Europe and is responsible for the greatest number of diseases related to the environment. Estimates from this study indicate that 20 million Europeans suffer from respiratory problems every day. Particulate matter (especially particles with a diameter less than 2.5 microns, PM2.5) is associated with increased mortality from cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary diseases. The social cost of asthma is estimated at 3 billion Euros per year. People with asthma and, in particular, asthmatic children are sensitive to air quality and several studies show a strong association between exposure to air pollution and asthma exacerbations.

JUSTIFICATION:

The rationale for this project stresses the improvement of quality of life, health and protection of ecosystems through more accurate scientific knowledge of the processes occurring in the atmosphere thanks to the ability to have a tool to assess and manage air quality in Spain. The current state of scientific knowledge and technology to model the evolution of the atmospheric state and can implement air quality modeling tools for decision-making in the field of air pollution, both at state, regional or local, with particular attention to urban areas where levels exceed human health protection of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

Project implementation will contribute to a significant advance in scientific knowledge and current technology in modeling air quality specifically applied to Spain. Pattern matching art, engagement and validation for experimental and operational phases is considered necessary and essential to advance knowledge of the episodes of photochemical pollution and particulate matter affecting Spain. Similarly, it is considered too basic to perform evaluation and management of air quality. The entry into force of the European directives on air quality and its transposition into Spanish law highlight the need for such tools, which provide an estimate of the geographic scope of the episode and establishing restrictive measures. In turn, this will also help to better utilization of network monitoring existing air quality, and optimizing the design of future networks.

CONCLUSION:

The main benefits from the project are:

1. Contribution to the development of emergency plans, actions, and programs to reduce exceedances predict when threshold levels of pollution provided by law, thus fulfilling

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