1. Impact of air pollution on the burden of chronic respiratory diseases in China: time for urgent action.
- Author
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Guan, Wei-Jie, Zheng, Xue-Yan, Chung, Kian Fan, and Zhong, Nan-Shan
- Subjects
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AIR pollution prevention , *INDOOR air pollution prevention , *PASSIVE smoking -- Law & legislation , *RESPIRATORY disease prevention , *SMOKING laws , *ENVIRONMENTAL exposure prevention , *AIR pollution , *ASTHMA , *CHRONIC diseases , *COMPARATIVE studies , *CORONARY disease , *ECONOMIC aspects of diseases , *INDOOR air pollution , *OBSTRUCTIVE lung diseases , *LUNG tumors , *RESEARCH methodology , *MEDICAL cooperation , *PASSIVE smoking , *PREVENTIVE health services , *RESEARCH , *RESPIRATORY diseases , *SMOKING , *STROKE , *ENVIRONMENTAL exposure , *EVALUATION research , *DISEASE incidence , *DISEASE prevalence ,DISEASE relapse prevention - Abstract
In China, where air pollution has become a major threat to public health, public awareness of the detrimental effects of air pollution on respiratory health is increasing-particularly in relation to haze days. Air pollutant emission levels in China remain substantially higher than are those in developed countries. Moreover, industry, traffic, and household biomass combustion have become major sources of air pollutant emissions, with substantial spatial and temporal variations. In this Review, we focus on the major constituents of air pollutants and their impacts on chronic respiratory diseases. We highlight targets for interventions and recommendations for pollution reduction through industrial upgrading, vehicle and fuel renovation, improvements in public transportation, lowering of personal exposure, mitigation of the direct effects of air pollution through healthy city development, intervention at population-based level (systematic health education, intensive and individualised intervention, pre-emptive measures, and rehabilitation), and improvement in air quality. The implementation of a national environmental protection policy has become urgent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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