Contamination produces 62,000 urgent income per year in Spain and a cost of 900 million euros
The effects of air pollution produce 62,000 urgent income per year in Spain, which represents 2.5 percent of the total urgent hospitalizations that occur in the country, and an approximate cost of 900 million euros, according to a monograph published by the Carlos IIIi Health Institute (ISCIII) with data from 11 investigations carried out in the last two years.
The reference unit in climate change, health and urban environment of the National School of Health (Ens-Piiii) has analyzed the impact that the main urban air pollutants on health and its economic estimate have in the short term, relating it to the effects of climate change in air quality, regulations and reference levels, and the different types of pollutants.
Of the total income due to respiratory causes, pollution would be related to 7.8 percent of cases, which represents 33,000 hospital highs per year, and with 6.9 percent in relation to the income that is produced by cardiovascular causes, that is, 9,000 annual hospitalizations. Likewise, pollution is related in the short term with 320 income from neurological causes, which represents 12.5 percent of the income from these ailments.
By autonomous communities, the Valencian Community is the one with the highest number of short -term attributable income urgently to contamination with 13,500 income per year, followed by the Community of Madrid with 11,500 income per year and Catalonia with 9,600 income per year.
The monograph of the ISCIII states that the main harmful pollutants for health in large Spanish cities are nitrogen dioxide, tropospheric ozone and particulate material less than 2.5 microns, as well as the least of 10 microns. Specifically, nitrogen dioxide and tropospheric ozone are those that relate to a greater extent to hospital income, followed by particulate material.
Given these results, the authors of the article have emphasized the recommendation to reduce traffic in cities, establish low emission areas and promote sustainable mobility to reduce the levels of the main pollutants that affect health.
In addition, the conclusions point out that the effect of the thermal extremes, that is, heat or cold waves, on annual hospital admissions is somewhat lower than that of air pollution, since 5,400 revenues for this cause are produced per year. Therefore, the authors remember that prevention plans against these meteorological phenomena must integrate the joint effects of thermal extremes and pollution.
On the other hand, the study emphasizes that the noise associated with urban traffic also implies a health risk, as relevant as that linked to nitrogen dioxide, and that noise pollution sometimes relates to different causes of hospital admission different from those linked to chemical air pollution.
Public health problem
Air pollution is an important public health problem that affects the population of all countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a very high percentage of the world population lives in places where the air quality levels recommended by the international body itself are not met.
WHO estimates that around 68 percent of premature deaths worldwide related to outer air pollution were due to ischemic heart disease and stroke; 14 percent, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases; another 14 percent, to acute infections of the lower respiratory tract; and four percent, to lung cancers.
As the authors of the monograph, in Europe and in Spain remember, atmospheric pollution is one of the main environmental health risks, and thus perceives among its population. In fact, scientific evidence shows that even low levels of exposure lead to harmful impacts, such as the increase in morbidity and mortality due to circulatory, respiratory, endocrine, mental and nervous system causes, all mediated by the increase in levels of inflammation and oxidative stress at the cellular level.