Northern Hills Homeowner's Association

British Study finds major pollutants at Airports

Feb 28, 2001

Except where otherwise indicated, all this material comes from:
Transport and Pollution: The Health Costs (1998), British Lung Foundation, London

Nitrogen oxides
There are three main nitrogen oxide gases: nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide and nitrous oxide. Nitrogen oxides affect lung function by impairing respiratory cell function and damaging small blood vessels. They may also harm immune system cells, increasing susceptibility to infection and aggravating asthma. In children, exposure to nitrogen oxides may result in coughs, colds, phlegm, shortness of breath, chronic wheezing, and respiratory diseases including chronic bronchitis. They also combine with particulate matter in the air to make it even more toxic (See particulate matter, below).

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
This category of pollutant includes thousands of different chemicals some of which are recognised as highly damaging to human health: in particular, formaldehyde, benzene and 1,3 butadiene. Benzene and 1,3 butadiene are known carcinogens, and benzene has been clearly linked with an increased risk of adult leukaemia. All three of these compounds can be present in VOCs emitted from airports. Many of the pollutants classified as VOCs are hydrocarbons. These are believed to cause skin irritation and breathing difficulties, and long-term exposure may impair lung function.

Ground-level ozone
In the presence of sunlight, VOCs and nitrogen oxides at ground level react together to form ozone. Unlike ozone high up in the ozone layer which protects us from the sun?’s ultra-violet rays, ground-level ozone is highly harmful to human health and leads to increased hospital admissions and mortality rates. Research demonstrates that exposure to ozone at relatively low levels significantly reduces lung function and induces inflammation inside the lungs during moderate exercise 9 . Chest pain, coughing, nausea and congestion of the lungs often accompany the decrease in lung function. Repeated exposure to ozone for years or even months has been shown to produce permanent structural lung damage with increased loss of lung function. Asthma sufferers are particularly at risk from ground-level ozone, which exacerbates their condition. Exposure to ozone may also increase susceptibility to infection among the general population.

Particulate matter
Particulate matter (solid and liquid particles in the air) is generated by aircraft and by other airport activities. Particulate matter (or particulates) is associated with a wide range of respiratory symptoms including coughs, colds, phlegm, sinusitis, shortness of breath, chronic wheezing, chest pain, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and loss of lung efficiency. In the urban population, as many as 15% of asthma cases and 7% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cases may be due to prolonged high-level exposure to particulate matter. Long-term exposure to particulates has been associated with increased risk of death from heart and lung disease. Particulate matter can also carry carcinogenic materials into the lungs. Particulates are believed to be responsible for 64,000 premature deaths every year in the USA.

Carbon monoxide
The high levels of nitrogen oxides in the air around airports increase the damaging effects of particulate matter. The nitrogen oxides combine with the particulate matter by a process of adsorption, making the particles even more toxic.
At low levels carbon monoxide can impair concentration and nervous system function and may cause exercise-related heart pain in people with coronary heart disease. At high levels, carbon monoxide causes headaches, drowsiness, nausea and slowed reflexes. At very high levels, it kills.

Sulphur dioxide
Sulphur dioxide irritates the lungs and is associated with chronic bronchitis. Asthma sufferers are particularly vulnerable and a few minutes?’ exposure to sulphur dioxide may trigger an attack. Sulphur dioxide is particularly dangerous if adsorbed by particulate matter. The particulate matter carries the sulphur dioxide deep into the lungs, causing serious health problems.

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