Proposal on,

Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Quality: A Review

Summary

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "pollution" occurs when

potentially hazardous compounds are released into the environment. Toxic substances,
whether solids, liquids, or gases, that are released into the environment at amounts above the
norm are known as pollutants.

In recent years, Malaysia's metropolitan settings have been consistently ranked among the
cleanest in all of Asia. The ambition of becoming an industrial nation by the year 2020 and
the fast economic expansion that has accompanied this objective have begun to impose
consequences in the form of increased industrial pollution and a deterioration of the quality of
the environment in metropolitan areas. In recent years, Malaysia has seen an increase in the
severity of issues related to the depletion of fisheries, pollution of the air and water, and
contamination caused by industrial waste. The most significant problem that has been having
an effect on people's health, as well as agricultural crops, forest species, and ecosystems, is
pollution in the air. Monitoring data and research on ambient air quality demonstrate that
some air pollutants in a number of big cities are rising over time and are not always at levels
that are acceptable according to national guidelines for ambient air quality. There is a severe
lack of data and case studies pertaining to air pollution in Malaysia. This article discusses the
findings of many research and monitoring projects connected to air pollution in Malaysia and
its effects on human health(1).

Polluting the water supply, the air we breathe, and the soil plants thrive in are all examples of
how human actions negatively impact the ecosystem. The industrial revolution brought many
benefits to technology, society, and the delivery of goods and services, but it also led to the
widespread creation of air pollution. Without a shadow of a doubt, environmental pollution is
a multifaceted worldwide public health crisis. This fundamental issue is connected to societal,
economic, legislative, and behavioural factors. It's quite clear that in our day, urbanisation
and industrialization have reached unprecedented and distressing levels all around the globe.
About 9 million fatalities a year may be directly attributed to anthropogenic air pollution,
making it one of the worst public health dangers in the world (1).
All of the aforementioned are, without a doubt, linked to climate change, and if any of them
pose a threat, the results might be disastrous for humanity (2). Multiple ecosystems are
negatively impacted by climate change and the impacts of global planetary warming,
including food safety concerns, ice and iceberg melting, animal extinction, and plant damage
(3, 4).

There are a wide range of health problems associated with breathing polluted air. People who
are already vulnerable or sensitive may experience adverse effects from air pollution even on
days with very low levels. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma,
respiratory illness, and frequent hospitalisations are all linked to even brief exposure to air
pollution (a measurement of morbidity).

Chronic asthma, pulmonary insufficiency, cardiovascular illnesses, and cardiovascular

mortality are some of the long-term health repercussions of air pollution. Long-term exposure
to air pollution seems to cause diabetes, according to a Swedish cohort research (5). Air
pollution also seems to cause a variety of adverse health impacts in early human
development, including respiratory, cardiovascular, mental, and perinatal abnormalities (3),
which may lead to infant death or chronic illness later in life (6).

The higher danger of illness and death has been noted in national reports (1). These
investigations, which were carried out in a wide variety of locations, demonstrate a
connection between daily variations in particulate matter (PM) concentration and daily
mortality. Climate change and global warming on Earth (3) may make the issue worse.
Furthermore, there has been documented evidence of an uptick in the rate of hospitalisation
as a measure of morbidity among the elderly and other vulnerable populations. Since tiny and
ultrafine particulate matter may enter the deepest portions of the airways and more quickly
reach the bloodstream, this kind of pollution is linked to more severe illnesses (6).

Those who reside in major metropolitan areas are disproportionately impacted by air
pollution since vehicle emissions are the primary cause of poor air quality in these places.
Accidents in factories pose a threat since the release of a poisonous cloud may wipe out
whole communities. Many factors, including air stability and wind, influence how far and
how fast pollutants travel (6).

Overpopulation, unchecked urbanisation, and the rise of industrialisation make the situation
even more acute in emerging nations (7). In nations with large income gaps and inadequate
access to knowledge about environmentally responsible practises, this has a particularly
negative impact on air quality. People with low earnings are more likely to utilise fuels like
wood fuel or solid fuel for household requirements, increasing their exposure to poor air
quality. Consider that three billion people rely on the aforementioned energy sources for their
basic heating and cooking requirements every single day (8). Because they spend more time
inside, women in underdeveloped nations seem to be more vulnerable to the health effects of
indoor air pollution (8, 9). Malaysia is one of the Asian nations with severe air pollution
issues because to its rapid industrial expansion and overcrowding (10, 11). Mortality from
lung cancer is rising in Malaysia , and scientists believe small particles may be to blame (12).
Negative effects on the cardiovascular system have been linked to chronic exposure, as has
previously been mentioned (3, 5). It's worth noting, however, that high levels of air pollution
tend to be more prevalent in industrialised and high-income nations than in low-income
developing ones (13). India has some of the worst cases of air pollution in the world. One of
India's most polluted cities is New Delhi. Because of air pollution, New Delhi International
Airport often has to cancel flights coming in and going out. India's rapid industrialisation,
urbanisation, and increase in the usage of motorbike transportation have led to pollution in
both urban and rural regions. Domestic biomass combustion is a significant contributor to air
pollution in India and Nepal because to the countries' cold winters and hot summers (14, 15).
Higher PM2.5 was observed in the Northern Indian states (557-601 g/m3) compared to the
Southern Indian states (183-214 g/m3), indicating that there is spatial heterogeneity in India
due to areas with diverse climatological conditions, population, and education level
generating different indoor air qualities (16, 17). It's possible that the lengthy durations spent
inside and the increased need for heating due to the chilly weather in Northern India are to
blame. Women and small children, who tend to spend more time inside, are particularly
vulnerable to the negative health impacts of household air pollution in India. The incidence of
lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CORD) is higher in females, whereas
younger children (5 years old) are more likely to suffer from acute lower respiratory illness
(18).

Death tolls in London (4,000) and New York City (400) spiked when levels of air pollution,
mainly sulphur dioxide and smoking, reached 1,500 mg/m3 in December 1952 and 1963,
respectively (19). Monitoring outdoor pollution levels in six major US cities revealed a
correlation between pollution and death (20). Total particulate pollution, aerosol acidity,
sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide did not seem to have a significant effect on death rates,
although levels of fine, inhalable, and sulphate particles did (20).

Moreover, Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro have some of the world's highest recorded levels
of pollution, followed by Milan, Ankara, Melbourne, Tokyo, and Moscow (19).

Measures of intervention diversity are warranted in light of the public health impact's size.
There has been talk of success and efficiency in reducing air pollution, particularly on a local
scale. The source, kind, and potential harm of an emission inform the selection of technical
countermeasures. Schwela and Köth-Jahr discuss the significance of addressing both point
sources and non-point causes of air pollution (21). A complete inventory of emissions from a
region's sources is essential. Topography and meteorological, in addition to the
aforementioned sources, should also be examined. It is common practise to extrapolate results
from studies of control policies and procedures from smaller geographic areas to the world at
large. Polluted air has the potential to travel long distances and contaminate a whole other
location. Pollutants in the air that are harmful to humans or the ecological balance of our
planet may be managed via air pollution reduction and, ideally, eradication. The air we
breathe is protected by measures taken by both private companies and public agencies (22).
The World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency have issued air
quality standards and recommendations for the various contaminants as a method of
controlling air pollution (1, 23). Causal analysis and dispersion modelling will help compare
these criteria to the emissions inventory standards and identify issue regions (24). Both direct
measurements and emissions modelling are often used as the basis for an inventory.

Objectives of the study

In this study, we conducted a literature review of previously published research looking into
the effects of industrial air pollution on the health of populations living in close proximity to
major industrial sites. The objectives of the study will

1) To conduct a mapping review of previously published systematic reviews in order to

assess the current state of knowledge concerning the effects of air pollution on human
health.
2) to identify the reasons why the studies will carried out, to list the health outcomes that
have been investigated,
 3) to describe the study designs that have been utilised, and to describe and discuss the
exposure assessments.
4) The conduct of a systematic review was not the goal of the objectives; rather, the goal
will to compile a sample that is representative of the many practises that are
applicable to that field.

Research Questions

1. What kinds of epidemiological designs and statistical approaches are there to choose
from in order to estimate the associations between air pollution and health?
2. What recent advances in methodology have been made in the estimation of the
adverse effects of air pollution on human health when looking at time series data?
3. What do you consider to be the most significant methodological challenges and
opportunities for future research in relation to regulatory policy?

Research Gap

As the primary source of energy for their homes, nearly three billion people around the world
rely on either biomass (which includes wood, charcoal, crop residues, and dung) or coal. In
developing countries, one of the most significant contributors to morbidity and mortality is
exposure to indoor air pollution (IAP), which is caused by the combustion of solid fuels. In
this article, we discuss the current state of knowledge regarding the link between IAP
exposure and disease, as well as the interventions that have been developed to lower both
exposure and disease. We approach the problem from an environmental health point of view
and take into account the specifics of the exposure as well as the health effects, which are
essential for developing effective intervention strategies. In addition to this, we identify
knowledge gaps and detailed research questions that are necessary for the successful design
and dissemination of preventative measures and policies. In addition to specific research
recommendations, we came to the conclusion that, given the interaction of housing,
household energy, and day-to-day household activities in determining exposure to indoor
smoke, research and the development of effective interventions can benefit enormously from
the integration of methods and analysis tools from a range of disciplines in the physical,
social, and health sciences. This is because the degree to which an individual is exposed to
indoor smoke is determined in part by how housing, household energy, and day-to-day
household activities interact with one another.
Plan of the study

The current study will be a review article in Statistics about AIR QUALITY, which discussed
air pollution concentrations and, in the end, health effects. Where we compare 20–25
literature of previous study and we will find the gap within these papers.

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