Resources Library
Health effects
The following 10 peer-reviewed articles were selected by Professor Andy Wardlaw to illustrate the health effects of air pollution. Open access (i.e., freely available) papers are marked in blue. If you are particularly interested in air pollution in Leicester, have a look at number 8.
1. Atkinson RW, Kang S, Anderson HR, Mills IC, Walton HA. Epidemiological time series studies of PM2.5 and daily mortality and hospital admissions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax. 2014 Apr 4. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2013-204492. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24706041. Open access.
2. Uzoigwe JC, Prum T, Bresnahan E, Garelnabi M. The Emerging Role of Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution in Cardiovascular Disease. N Am J Med Sci. 2013 Aug;5(8):445-453. doi: 10.4103/1947-2714.117290 Review. PubMed PMID: 24083218; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3784920. Open access.
3. Wright RJ, Brunst KJ. Programming of respiratory health in childhood: influence of outdoor air pollution. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2013 Apr;25(2):232-9. doi:
10.1097/MOP.0b013e32835e78cc. Review. PubMed PMID: 23422354.
4. Gowers AM, Cullinan P, Ayres JG, Anderson HR, Strachan DP, Holgate ST, Mills IC, Maynard RL. Does outdoor air pollution induce new cases of asthma? Biological plausibility and evidence; a review. Respirology. 2012 Aug;17(6):887-98. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2012.02195.x. Review. PubMed PMID: 22672711. Open access.
5. Anderson JO, Thundiyil JG, Stolbach A. Clearing the air: a review of the effects of particulate matter air pollution on human health. J Med Toxicol. 2012 Jun;8(2):166-75. doi: 10.1007/s13181-011-0203-1. Review. PubMed PMID: 22194192; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3550231. Open access.
6. Holguin F. Traffic, outdoor air pollution, and asthma. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2008 Aug;28(3):577-88, viii-ix. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2008.03.008. Review. PubMed PMID: 18572108.
7. Chen TM, Shofer S, Gokhale J, Kuschner WG. Outdoor air pollution: overview and historical perspective. Am J Med Sci. 2007 Apr;333(4):230-4. doi: 10.1097/MAJ.0b013e31803b8c91. Review. PubMed PMID: 17435417.
8. Jephcote C, Chen H. Environmental injustices of children's exposure to air pollution from road-transport within the model British multicultural city of
Leicester: 2000-09. Sci Total Environ. 2012 Jan 1;414:140-51. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv. PubMed PMID: 22154180.
9. Pierse N, Rushton L, Harris RS, Kuehni CE, Silverman M, Grigg J. Locally generated particulate pollution and respiratory symptoms in young children.
Thorax. 2006 Mar;61(3):216-20. doi: 10.1136/thx.2004.036418. Epub 2006 Jan 5. PubMed PMID: 16396948.
10. Wardlaw AJ. Air pollution and allergic disease. Report of a Working Party of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Clin Exp Allergy. 1995 Nov;25 Suppl 3:6-8. Review. PubMed PMID: 8821796.
There have been reports linking air pollution to other aspects of health as well: Scientific American published an article in September 2013 linking air pollution to bowel disease and research in Germany has linked air pollution to greater insulin resistance. Links have been found between air pollution strokes and also Alzheimer's disease.
The World Healthy Organization has published data on air pollution in cities across the world.
1. Atkinson RW, Kang S, Anderson HR, Mills IC, Walton HA. Epidemiological time series studies of PM2.5 and daily mortality and hospital admissions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax. 2014 Apr 4. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2013-204492. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24706041. Open access.
2. Uzoigwe JC, Prum T, Bresnahan E, Garelnabi M. The Emerging Role of Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution in Cardiovascular Disease. N Am J Med Sci. 2013 Aug;5(8):445-453. doi: 10.4103/1947-2714.117290 Review. PubMed PMID: 24083218; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3784920. Open access.
3. Wright RJ, Brunst KJ. Programming of respiratory health in childhood: influence of outdoor air pollution. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2013 Apr;25(2):232-9. doi:
10.1097/MOP.0b013e32835e78cc. Review. PubMed PMID: 23422354.
4. Gowers AM, Cullinan P, Ayres JG, Anderson HR, Strachan DP, Holgate ST, Mills IC, Maynard RL. Does outdoor air pollution induce new cases of asthma? Biological plausibility and evidence; a review. Respirology. 2012 Aug;17(6):887-98. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2012.02195.x. Review. PubMed PMID: 22672711. Open access.
5. Anderson JO, Thundiyil JG, Stolbach A. Clearing the air: a review of the effects of particulate matter air pollution on human health. J Med Toxicol. 2012 Jun;8(2):166-75. doi: 10.1007/s13181-011-0203-1. Review. PubMed PMID: 22194192; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3550231. Open access.
6. Holguin F. Traffic, outdoor air pollution, and asthma. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2008 Aug;28(3):577-88, viii-ix. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2008.03.008. Review. PubMed PMID: 18572108.
7. Chen TM, Shofer S, Gokhale J, Kuschner WG. Outdoor air pollution: overview and historical perspective. Am J Med Sci. 2007 Apr;333(4):230-4. doi: 10.1097/MAJ.0b013e31803b8c91. Review. PubMed PMID: 17435417.
8. Jephcote C, Chen H. Environmental injustices of children's exposure to air pollution from road-transport within the model British multicultural city of
Leicester: 2000-09. Sci Total Environ. 2012 Jan 1;414:140-51. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv. PubMed PMID: 22154180.
9. Pierse N, Rushton L, Harris RS, Kuehni CE, Silverman M, Grigg J. Locally generated particulate pollution and respiratory symptoms in young children.
Thorax. 2006 Mar;61(3):216-20. doi: 10.1136/thx.2004.036418. Epub 2006 Jan 5. PubMed PMID: 16396948.
10. Wardlaw AJ. Air pollution and allergic disease. Report of a Working Party of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Clin Exp Allergy. 1995 Nov;25 Suppl 3:6-8. Review. PubMed PMID: 8821796.
There have been reports linking air pollution to other aspects of health as well: Scientific American published an article in September 2013 linking air pollution to bowel disease and research in Germany has linked air pollution to greater insulin resistance. Links have been found between air pollution strokes and also Alzheimer's disease.
The World Healthy Organization has published data on air pollution in cities across the world.