Health risks for those living near roads

Landmark health study

Vilas Bhuchar, Jun 22, 10.

An international study conducted by the US-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) has found that there are clear respiratory and cardiovascular health risks for those living near arterial roads or highways, according to The Age.

The study, which analyzed 700 worldwide health-pollution studies, showed that children living with 500 meters (1640 feet) of a major road are at a greater risk of developing asthma, while adults face an increased chance of lung and heart-related illnesses, adds the story:

The largest international study on vehicle air pollution and health research has found that traffic pollution within a 500-metre radius of a major thoroughfare was likely to exacerbate asthma in children, trigger new asthma cases across all ages, impair lung function in adults, and could cause cardiovascular illness and death.

A 500-meter radius from highways and other major roads includes about 30% to 45% of residents living in large North American cities, notes the study’s press release, which adds that increased auto dependency is offsetting any gains made from more efficient emission controls:

Many countries have implemented more stringent emission controls and made steady progress in reducing the emissions from motor vehicles and improving air quality. However, the rapid growth of the world’s motor-vehicle fleet, the expansion of metropolitan areas, and the increasing dependence on motor vehicles have resulted in an increase in the fraction of the population living and working in close proximity to busy highways and roads — counteracting to some extent the benefits of pollution - control regulations and technologies. 

Just last week, Houston area public transportation experts shed light on the city’s potential to reduce its dependence on cars during a panel discussion at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Finally, the study’s findings reinforce previous research, including a California study that showed Los Angeles residents living near freeways experiencing a hardening of the arteries that leads to heart disease and strokes at twice the rate of those who live farther away.

Full story

(Photo credit: Atwater Village Newbie)

More from Beyond

Comments

Page 1 of 1 pages