AIR POLLUTION -- The Facts About Air Pollution Poor air quality is a problem in Canada and it is damaging our health and restricting our active lifestyle. It is especially damaging to children, those physically active outdoors, and the elderly. During strenuous physical activity there is an even greater chance of being harmed by polluted air. Athletes, from the elite competitor to the recreationally active person, have a vested interest in reducing air pollution. They are also excellent spokespersons to be speaking to Canadians, especially youth, about the benefits of active transportation.
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Air Pollution - What is it? The critical air pollutants affecting our health are:
Among the negative health effects of these pollutants are respiratory illness, aggravation of asthma symptoms and even premature death. Increased burning of fossil fuels -- for transportation, heating or energy -- is responsible for the steady increase in the levels of these pollutants in all parts of the country.
Climate Change Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and CFCs help trap the earth's radiant heat, keeping our lower atmosphere warm. The majority of scientists believe that increased production of these gases is contributing to changes in the earth's climate. The possible effects of this trend are numerous including hotter temperatures, increased disease and unstable climates causing extreme weather events and increased flooding.
Air quality is also heavily affected by global warming. Hotter days and increased sunlight produce optimal conditions for the creation of ground level ozone, the chief component of smog.
Many of the steps we take to reduce air pollution will also reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. By reducing our consumption of fossil fuels we will be simultaneously improving air quality and helping to "cool" the planet.
Idling When cars, trucks and buses are left running while parked, they produce pollution that contributes to problems like climate change and smog-which affects the health of all Canadians. Idling engines produces twice as much exhaust emissions as engines in motion because they are generally not operating at its peak temperature, which means fuel combustion is incomplete. Idling for more than 10 seconds wastes money and causes damage to the environment.
We've all experienced the harmful effects of idling, whether we're walking past a row of trucks or buses on a busy city street, holding our breath trying to avoid inhaling the toxic exhaust fumes, or right in our own neighbourhood, where remote car starters turn on vehicles while the owners are still at the breakfast table. Unnecessary idling costs Canadians millions of dollars every year and it's a major contributor to climate change.
Idling is particularly an issue at schools. A recent study found that more than a third of parents in Toronto idle their vehicles while waiting to pick up their children. This is compounded by the fact that due to commuting traffic, air pollution is already at its daily peak when parents are picking up their kids.
Put a stop to engine idling. It's a great way to do your part in protecting our air quality, minimizing the effects of climate change, and saving energy and money-all at the same time.
Did you know? "Idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to do this is to drive the vehicle. With today's modern engines, you need no more than 10 seconds of idling before starting to drive."
Indoor Air Quality Indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important health concern, because most Canadians spend up to 90% of their time indoors. We can be exposed to a variety of indoor air contaminants from how we heat our indoor spaces, to the products that we buy, and from the way we choose to live our lives. However, some people are very sensitive to IAQ and can become ill from poor air quality. People with asthma or other respiratory illnesses can suffer tremendously from poor IAQ.
Indoor air, in addition to being poorly circulated and exchanged with the outside, can contain emissions from the thousands of plastics and petroleum products now present in a typical indoor setting. Added to that are off-gassing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from paint, cleaners, photocopiers and laser printers as well as perfumes, and scents from soaps, shampoos, and "deodorizers". On their own or in combination, these products are being increasingly recognized as the source of a number of "environmental" allergies and sensitivities. What is harmful in the office or home is equally or even more so in the indoor sport facility, where the rate of respiration and exertion can multiply negative effects.
The quality of air in indoor sports facilities is site specific. Whereas a well-ventilated facility which has taken care to limit the amount of off-gassing, may present no health hazard to users, a similar facility may leave athletes with headaches, asthmatic problems, nausea, dizziness or any number of other symptoms. Particular indoor locations that may have issues with air quality include ice arenas due to the machines used for resurfacing and swimming pools as a result of accidents and spills associated with gas chlorinators.
The best advice for dealing with indoor air quality issues is to remove the source or reduce the level of pollutants and keep your house or sporting facility clean, dry and well ventilated.
HEALTH ISSUES AND CONCERNS
Children's Health Concerns Children are particularly vulnerable to respiratory conditions because of their developmental stage and physical differences from adults. Children's lungs and airways are immature and especially susceptible to harm from
Physicians see children with respiratory problems more often than any other chronic health problem, and children are relatively more likely to be hospitalized due to respiratory problems. Asthma incidence in children under age fifteen has increased fourfold in the last fifteen years in Canada. Pollution from local and trans-boundary sources is particularly damaging on children's respiratory health in Ontario, the southern Atlantic provinces and British Columbia.
Athletes' Health Concerns The large percentage of the population that is active is at higher risk from air pollution for several reasons. People who exercise inhale more volume per minute than the average sedentary person does. During physical activity, air is inhaled more deeply carrying pollutants farther into the lungs. Even more importantly, it is often taken in through the mouth, eliminating the benefits of purification in the nasal passage.
Walking slowly a healthy man inspires about three times more air than when resting. The same person running without great exertion takes in 6 times more air.
In addition, people who exercise outdoors tend to do so near roads and often during or just after peak traffic hours when the level of pollution is highest. They also tend to go outdoors on the hotter and sunnier days when conditions are prime for air pollution, especially from ozone.
Elderly Health Concerns
What are the Potential Health Effects from Air Pollutants? A variety of contaminants, in both indoor and outdoor air, are associated with respiratory problems in adults and especially children. The adverse respiratory effects range from subtle,
Ozone and particulates appear to have no threshold in relation to respiratory effects and are responsible for tangible increases in respiratory illness. Long-term exposure to high levels of air pollutants is associated with significant effects on lung function and may predispose children to developing chronic respiratory problems. Indoor air pollutants also contribute to persistent or recurrent respiratory symptoms, infections and allergies.
What Can You Do To Prevent Exposures? It is difficult to prevent exposure to outdoor air pollution, particularly (but not exclusively) in urban areas. The greatest step individuals can take is to NOT drive their automobile and use active means of transportation (i.e. walk, bike, run, roll) whenever it is safe and possible to do so.
We must also be aware of air quality advisories and understand the health risks from being exposed to poor air quality. Parents should strive to limit children's strenuous activity outdoors on poor air quality days, especially if their child has pre-existing respiratory problems. Athletes should avoid exercising outside on smog alert days if possible. Their physical activity should be avoided particularly during the peak rush hour times and they should avoid heavy traffic routes whenever possible.
What Can We Do As a Society to Prevent These Exposures? Medical experts, such as the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), have gathered substantial evidence demonstrating the links between air pollution and respiratory health problems in children. Respiratory health effects are indisputably preventable. However, adequate protection of Canadian's respiratory health, particularly children's, rests upon changes at a societal level.
Outdoor air quality also requires societal solutions to protect children's respiratory health. Lifestyle changes centred on reducing our use of vehicles is one key strategy. Fundamental to a societal response, however, are regulatory changes to improve air quality. Canada needs more stringent standards to limit emissions from industry and vehicles as well as more effective enforcement practices.
We ALL must take responsibility in our daily lives to reduce air pollution and the burning of fossil fuels whenever possible.
Bike to work, Walk to school, skate board to soccer practice, take public transit - leave the car behind and choose to get active for the environment and for your health. You will feel better and children will thank you!
1. Gong, H. and S. Krishnareddy. 1995. How pollution and airborne allergens affect exercise. The Physician and Sports Medicine 23 (7) July 95 2. Pierson, w. et al. 1985. Implications of air pollution effects on athletic performance. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise 18 (3): 322 - 326. 3. Houghton, J.T.et al eds.,1996. Climate Change 1995- The Science of Climate Change. (Volume 1 of the Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 4. Environment Canada. 1997. The Canada Country Study: Climate Impacts and Adaptation. 5. Last, Dr. J. et al. 1998. Taking Our Breath Away: Health Effects of Air Pollution and Climate Change. Vancouver: David Suzuki Foundation. p 2. 6. Atkinson, G. 1997. Air Pollution and Exercise Sports Exercise and Injury. 3 (2-8)
AIR QUALITY HEALTH INDEX (AQHI) What is the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)?
The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a scale designed by the federal government, supported by provincial governments, to help understand how air quality impacts human health.
The AQHI is a health protection and prevention tool to help Canadians make decisions to protect their health. It accomplishes this by giving them the information they need to limit short-term exposure to air pollution and adjust their activity levels during increased levels of air pollution. It also provides advice on how individuals can improve the quality of the air they breathe, such as using active transportation.
The AQHI pays particular attention to people who are sensitive to air pollution and provides them with advice on how to protect their health during air quality levels associated with low, moderate, high and very high health risks.
The AQHI communicates the following four key determinants:
The AQHI is designed to give Canadians this information in one place along with some suggestions on how they might adjust their activity levels depending on their individual health risk from air pollution.
The AQHI is measured on a scale ranging from 1-10+. It is calculated based on the relative risks of a combination of common air pollutants which are known to harm human health. These pollutants include:
The AQHI index values are also grouped into health risk categories as shown below. These categories help individuals to easily and quickly identify their particular level of risk.
The Air Quality Index versus the Air Quality Health Index...
What is the Difference?
While air quality has been reported for many years, the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is relatively new and was created with the goal to report on the health risk posed by a the mixture of air pollutants we breathe. The Air Quality Index (AQI) communicates the air quality of the single worst pollutant, which is often O3, while the index rating for the new AQHI is the sum of the health risks posed by several pollutants, as listed above. While they share some similarities, the two indices were developed with different objectives in mind and for that reason should not be compared one to the other.
However, if you are questioned on this issue it is best to explain the relationship as follows: The new AQHI captures the human health risk from air pollution while the traditional AQI provides us with information on the quality of the air compared to Canadian air quality standards and/or criteria for pollutants.
Finding the Air Quality Health Index
The AQHI is being made available across Canada in stages. As of January 2009, it is available in the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa, Gatineau, Quebec, Saint John, Halifax and several major urban centres in British Columbia with more to follow in spring 2009
How to Determine If You Are "At Risk"?
Air pollution makes it even harder for people to breathe, can make existing lung or heart-related symptoms such as asthma and angina worse. Diabetics are also more sensitive because they are more likely to have cardiovascular disease. Individuals should consult their physician to determine if they are part of the at risk population, and to what extent they need to be concerned about air quality.
The AQHI was created as a scale so that individuals can self-calibrate their exposure depending on their personal condition.
For more information on your possible level of risk, consult:http://www.ec.gc.ca/cas-aqhi/default.asp?lang=En&n=8727DF6F-1
Physical Activity and the AQHI
Clean Air Champions strives to inspire Canadians to adopt physically active lifestyles. However, it is also important to remember that people who are active outdoors are also at an increased risk to exposure to air pollution. Athletes and other people who are undertaking strenuous physical activity breathe more rapidly allowing more air pollution to enter their lungs. In addition, they often breathe deeper than the average sedentary person bringing the air and potential pollution deeper into the sensitive sections of the lungs.
The reality is we all have to be careful not to damage our bodies by being exposed to poor air quality. This means, being wise about how and when we do exercise if there is a threat of a poor air quality day.
If the local AQHI level poses a health risk to an individual who wants to exercise or undertake some physical activity they should consider several alternatives to protect their health. These options include:
ACTIVE LIVING The Challenge:
Obesity and physical inactivity are becoming epidemic in Canada. Almost half of Canadian adults are either obese or overweight and 63% of Canadians are not active enough to achieve the health benefits they need from physical activity.
The trends are particularly worrying amongst Canada's young people. Childhood obesity has almost tripled over the past 15 years. Three out of five children and youth (age 5 -17) are not active enough for optimal growth and development. Approximately 1/4 of children are overweight.
The costs to Canadians are immense in both health and economic terms. Current estimates place the cost of physical inactivity in Canada at $5.3 billion and the cost of obesity at $4.3 billion in health care expenditures. More than two million Canadians suffer from Type II Diabetes, and the incidence among children is rising dramatically despite the fact that this disease is entirely preventable through moderate levels of physical activity and healthy eating habits. Increasing physical activity levels is essential to disease prevention and will also lead to great reductions in healthcare costs and a range of related health challenges.
In order to significantly increase physical activity levels for all Canadians we first need to address the barriers. From the built environment perspective, Canadian cities need to be designed in such a way that allows, and actually encourages, Canadians to adopt more active lifestyles with minimum risk. Unfortunately, during the last century most cities were developed centred around the use of the car with the result being car-dependent citizens who live far from their places of work, commerce, and play.. According to Statistics Canada more than 72% of Canadians drive to work. In 2002, a survey showed that over 50% of children and youth relied solely on inactive modes of transportation to travel to and from school.
It is also important to note that the less we drive the better our air quality will be and the more Canadians are likely to be physically active outdoors. Personal transportation is the main source for the primary air pollutants such as Nitrous Oxides, Volatile Organic Compounds and Carbon Monoxide. Air quality is a key determinant in people's ability to be active outdoors particularly for those with compromised health or lung diseases such as asthma and COPD. Furthermore, the average Canadian driver generates 5,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) annually from car travel, and personal use of the automobile accounts for 50% of individual Canadians total contribution to GHGs. Climate change is creating more extreme hot days which is making it more difficult to be active outdoors in the summer due to potential heat exhaustion or heat stroke. In addition, climate change also contributes to air pollution by leading to sunnier days which are conducive to the creation of ground level ozone
In particular for children and youth, schools need to introduce mandatory daily quality physical activity whether in physical education classes or free time. In 2002, it was reported that almost half of Canadian youth spent an hour or less per week in physical activity during class time and the same amount of time for free time physical activity at school. Furthermore, screen time is now a major contributor to reduced physical activity levels in youth. A recent study found that 56% of males and 59% of females in grades 9-12 spend between 1 - 3 hours per day on screen time and on the phone, and between 26-36% of males and females spend more then 3 hours per day. Statistics also show that levels of physical activity in youth drop from 62% in grade 9 to 46% in grade 12 with more males active then females (63% vs. 45%). All youth need to be encouraged to stay active throughout their teen years as this is also a determinant in whether they will maintain an active lifestyle into adulthood.
The government of Canada is encouraging Canadians to incorporate more physical activity in their daily lives. For optimum health, adults should participate in a physical activity for at least one hour a day while children and youth should incorporate at least 90 minutes of activity a day, including 30 minutes of vigorous activity. This can be achieved in several periods of 10 minutes or more throughout a day.
There are many ways to maintain an active lifestyle. One way of achieving the necessary levels of physical is to include active transportation in our daily lives. Biking or walking to work, school, or shopping is a way of both getting around and getting some exercise. Other examples include, shovelling snow or raking leaves instead of relying on snow or leaf blowers, using a push mower, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Just walking is also a great solution. Here are the recommended daily step goals: 10,000 steps a day for adults (an average adult takes approximately 1300 steps in a kilometre) 12,000 steps a day for youth 12,000 - 16,000 a day for children
For more information on Canada's Physical Activity Guide see http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-uap/paguide/intro.html
DID YOU KNOW? For distances less than 5 km in urban areas, biking is the fastest mode of transportation. (Public Health Agency of Canada)
DID YOU KNOW? Each Canadian makes an average of 2,000 car trips of less than 3 km each year, trips that could be replaced with an active choice of transportation for all or part of the trip. (Public Health Agency of Canada)
DID YOU KNOW? Vehicles are the largest single domestic source of the smog-causing pollutants nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as carbon monoxide (CO), a poisonous gas in Ontario. (Ontario Ministry of Environment)
DID YOU KNOW? 3 out of 5 children and youth (ages 5 -17) are not active enough for optimal growth and development. (Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute)
Sources: Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute. 2000. Physical Activity Monitor Ibid. 2006. Physical Activity of Canadian Youth - an analysis of 2002 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Data. Ottawa Canadian Public Health Agency. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-uap/fitness/active_trans.htm. Cited Dec 27, 2008 Canadian Public Health Agency. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-uap/paguide/intro.html. Cited Dec 27, 2008 Coalition for Active Living http://www.activeliving.ca/pdf/CAL_key_messages_final.pdf. Cited Dec 23, 2008 Government of Canada. 2002. Canada's Physical Activity Guide for Youth. Ottawa Government of Canada. National Inventory Report 1990-2006: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada - The Canadian Government's Submission to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, May 2008. Ottawa Ottawa Public Health and Population Health Group (University of Waterloo), 'Shapes - Ontario, Physical Activity and Ottawa Youth' www.ottawa.ca/health (2006) Statistics Canada. 2008. Commuting Patterns and Places of Work of Canadians, 2006 Census. Ottawa
Some suggested links for more information on Air Quality:
