Several statistical tools including hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM)
theories have been used in spatial analysis to identify optimum locations for new
stations to generate more accurate air quality scenarios in Tehran city in Iran
(Kazemi-Beydokhti et al. 2019).
3 Air Quality Epidemiological Studies
The adverse effects of ambient air pollution on health are large, ranging from
hypertensive disorders and neurodegeneration to respiratory and cardiovascular
diseases. The impacts of air pollution vary depending on the period of exposure,
and a significant number of epidemiological studies have been conducted for
investigating both the short- and long-term effects of exposure (Ostro et al. 1996;
Sahsuvaroglu et al. 2009) .
Since the 1990s, multi-city time series studies have provided strong evidences
associating short-term exposure of air pollution to adverse health events (in terms of
mortality and morbidity). For example, the National Morbidity, Mortality, and Air
Pollution Study (NMMAPS) in the USA and the Air Pollution and Health: A
European Approach (APHEA) study in Europe have found a 0.21% and a 0.6%
increase in total mortality per 10 units’ elevation in particulate concentrations,
respectively (Samoli et al. 2003; Peng et al. 2005).
The influence of elevated ozone associated with smoke (EOAS) on paediatric
asthma was observed in the different regions of the USA (Pratt et al. 2019) in which
the researchers have implemented Monte Carlo approach to assess the quantitative
burden. The study also was used to estimate the median number of excess paediatric
asthma emergency departments (ED) in the continental USA between 2005 and
2014. From the study observations, significant increase in paediatric asthma ED
visits that are associated with enhanced ozone exposure from smokes were made.
Also, it has been observed that the effect of ozone due to wildlife fires can have more
impact on cardiopulmonary health.
The impact of PM 2.5 exposures on paediatric asthma health by analysing a cohort
study of 11 years of data had observed a higher impact of PM 2.5 during the initial
developmental years of a child’s life. It was also reported that the impacts varied by
confounders including age, race/ethnicity and insurance, which contributed to
asthma health disparities among children along with the level of exposure to PM 2.5
(Oyana et al. 2019).
Mudiyanselage and Tripathi (2019) employed various methodologies to examine
the associations between asthma/COPD morbidity and their determinants. By
analysing individual effects and combined effects, they explored the potential risk
factors per meteorological factor, the direct and indirect factors of air pollution, the
socio-economic factors and the contributing characteristics of the physical environment. They found that meteorological factor such as relative humidity, physical
factors such as proximity to roads, and road density, social factor such as firewood
380
M. Prashanthi Devi et al.
theories have been used in spatial analysis to identify optimum locations for new
stations to generate more accurate air quality scenarios in Tehran city in Iran
(Kazemi-Beydokhti et al. 2019).
3 Air Quality Epidemiological Studies
The adverse effects of ambient air pollution on health are large, ranging from
hypertensive disorders and neurodegeneration to respiratory and cardiovascular
diseases. The impacts of air pollution vary depending on the period of exposure,
and a significant number of epidemiological studies have been conducted for
investigating both the short- and long-term effects of exposure (Ostro et al. 1996;
Sahsuvaroglu et al. 2009) .
Since the 1990s, multi-city time series studies have provided strong evidences
associating short-term exposure of air pollution to adverse health events (in terms of
mortality and morbidity). For example, the National Morbidity, Mortality, and Air
Pollution Study (NMMAPS) in the USA and the Air Pollution and Health: A
European Approach (APHEA) study in Europe have found a 0.21% and a 0.6%
increase in total mortality per 10 units’ elevation in particulate concentrations,
respectively (Samoli et al. 2003; Peng et al. 2005).
The influence of elevated ozone associated with smoke (EOAS) on paediatric
asthma was observed in the different regions of the USA (Pratt et al. 2019) in which
the researchers have implemented Monte Carlo approach to assess the quantitative
burden. The study also was used to estimate the median number of excess paediatric
asthma emergency departments (ED) in the continental USA between 2005 and
2014. From the study observations, significant increase in paediatric asthma ED
visits that are associated with enhanced ozone exposure from smokes were made.
Also, it has been observed that the effect of ozone due to wildlife fires can have more
impact on cardiopulmonary health.
The impact of PM 2.5 exposures on paediatric asthma health by analysing a cohort
study of 11 years of data had observed a higher impact of PM 2.5 during the initial
developmental years of a child’s life. It was also reported that the impacts varied by
confounders including age, race/ethnicity and insurance, which contributed to
asthma health disparities among children along with the level of exposure to PM 2.5
(Oyana et al. 2019).
Mudiyanselage and Tripathi (2019) employed various methodologies to examine
the associations between asthma/COPD morbidity and their determinants. By
analysing individual effects and combined effects, they explored the potential risk
factors per meteorological factor, the direct and indirect factors of air pollution, the
socio-economic factors and the contributing characteristics of the physical environment. They found that meteorological factor such as relative humidity, physical
factors such as proximity to roads, and road density, social factor such as firewood
380
M. Prashanthi Devi et al.