TagHealth(97)
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2020-12-01Community health and airport operations related noise and air pollution: Report to the legislature in response to Washington State House Bill 1109
This December 2020 report, prepared by Public Health Seattle & King County in response to Washington State House Bill 1109, examines how noise and air pollution from airport operations affect the health of communities near Sea-Tac Airport compared to the rest of King County. It reviews evidence on pollutants such as ultrafine particulates, their links to conditions like asthma, heart disease, and reduced life expectancy, and includes findings from a University of Washington study on air quality. The report concludes with recommendations for addressing these public health impacts. -
Fetal Health Negatively Impacted by Airplane Noise
The likelihood of having a low birth weight (LBW) baby is increased if the mother lives close to the airport, in the direction of the runway, and is exposed to noise levels over the 55 dB threshold, a new University of Colorado Denver study found. Results come from a study conducted by Laura Argys, PhD, -
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Relative sizes of various allergens
Diagram comparing the sizes of common airborne particles including human hair (50–70 microns), pollen (30–50 microns), ragweed (17–23 microns), dust mite (10 microns), and a 1-micron reference marker. The illustration uses scaled circles to visually represent relative particle sizes, relevant to air quality and filtration contexts. -
2020-05-25Community health impacts of airports
This presentation by Kim Serry, a University of Washington public health graduate student, reviews research on the community health impacts of airports, covering pollutants, health effects, and which populations are most affected. The session, produced in partnership with Public Health Seattle King County and the UW Center for Health Innovation and Policy Science, also examines local conditions relevant to the Sea-Tac area. The 30-35 minute recorded presentation concludes with an open question-and-answer period. -
2020-04-01Preterm birth rates among mothers exposed to ultrafine particles from jet exhaust
A peer-reviewed study by researchers from Tufts, UCLA, USC, and the University of Washington found that mothers living near airports and exposed to ultrafine particles from jet exhaust face elevated rates of preterm birth. The research, published in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2020, is particularly relevant to communities near large airports like Sea-Tac, where millions of residents live within the impact zone of aircraft emissions. The findings carry significant environmental justice implications, as near-airport communities with high pollution exposure are often among the most vulnerable populations. -
Ultrafine particles: unique physicochemical properties relevant to health and disease
Hyouk-Soo Kwon, Min Hyung Ryu & Christopher Carlsten Experimental & Molecular Medicine volume 52, pages318–328 (2020)Cite this article 15k Accesses 98 Citations 82 Altmetric Metricsdetails Abstract Ultrafine particles (UFPs) are aerosols with an aerodynamic diameter of 0.1 µm (100 nm) or less. There is a growing concern in the public health community about the contribution of UFPs to human health. Despite their modest mass -
2020-03-17Special issue on ultrafine particles: where are they from and how do they affect us?
This editorial introduces a special journal issue examining ultrafine particles (UFPs) — tiny airborne pollutants less than 100 nanometers in diameter produced by fossil fuel combustion, industrial emissions, and other sources. The articles covered explain how UFPs can enter the body through the lungs and travel to virtually all organs, contributing to respiratory disease, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, cancer, and neurological effects. The editors emphasize that while UFPs pose significant health risks, their precise role in many illnesses remains poorly understood, calling for urgent global research into their sources and health impacts.