New research reveals health effects caused by diesel particulates

Dr. John Froines giving his presentation on the
health effects caused by diesel.
(Photo by Anabell Romero)

A doctor and professor at UCLA revealed new research on the health effects caused by diesel particulates Wednesday night. Community members, environmentalist, health experts and government agencies all gathered at the Banning Senior Citizen’s Center to listen to Dr. John Froines speak about his shocking findings.

He started off by stating that 50-60 years ago America’s views on pollution were completely different and very limited.

“It was thought that air pollution was the result of backyard barbecues,” said Froines.  

As more research on air pollution has been conducted studies show that, “the underlying basis for health effects are from airborne particulate matter (PM) and vapor co-pollutants,” said Froines.

There has been speculation that Southern California’s air quality is gradually improving, but according to Froines, that is false.

“There have been no improvements,” he said, “It’s worse!” Some of the health illnesses he listed as a result of PM, which is found in diesel fuel are:

• Asthma
• Problems of lung growth in children
• Atherosclerosis, which is hardening of the arteries. It occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard structures called plaques.
• Lung and possibly bladder cancer
• Uptake and chronic inflammatory effects in the Central Nervous System (CNS)

Other illnesses he mentioned were Alzheimer, as well as the increased chances of premature births.

He said these particulates are as tiny as the size of a virus. People exposed to PM are not only inhaling it but the invisible poison also travels through human pores he said.

“Particulates can travel to the brain, not only the lungs and heart,” he added. He continued to emphasize on pollution being a, “very complex issue.”

He said, “for diseases and illnesses to occur there needs to be chemistry at the outset and downstream with proteins and DNA.”

The Solution to pollution

The solution is finding something other than diesel said Froines.

Now that the research is there to prove how harmful it is to be exposed to high levels of diesel the federal government needs to regulate the amount of emissions that are released in the air, he said.

After Froines’ talk a panel of health experts and government agencies discussed some of the work they’re doing to develop a solution for this fatal problem.

A representative from the air division at the US Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Kim Hoang, said that, “everything at the federal level takes years to develop…five to 10 years from now we will see all those studies being considered.”

The public was not very happy to hear that.

A Long Beach community resident demanded that government agencies do something about holding the ports, railroad companies, trucking companies and other polluters accountable for the damage they’re doing to the health of residents in nearby neighborhoods.

Carmen Rivera from Long Beach sharing her experience of
living in neighborhood highly impacted by air-pollution.
(Photo by Anabell Romero)

“The ports want to do all these new projects, like the railyard, behind our homes,” said Long Beach resident Carmen Rivera. “You the agencies have the power to help us and say no to their absurd projects.”

There was also discussion about zero-emission technology available to replace current diesel fueled machines and trucks.

“Zero-emission freight technology is the solution and we need to pursue them,” said Dr. Joseph Lyou from South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The meeting ended with public comments and community members demanding that the government do something about this now and not five or 10 years from now.

It is not fair for residents to continue fighting with industry about these issues, if there’s probable risk then it needs to be banned, said an attendee at the meeting.

13 Great Outdoor Places to Run in L.A.

(From left: Reed Saxon / Associated Press; Los Angeles Times; Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Running and moderate exercise is not only good for your body, but also good for your mood!

A study conducted by Dr. Jeremy Sibold of The University of Vermont, Burlington, concluded that, "Moderate intensity aerobic exercise improves mood immediately and those improvements can last up to 12 hours."(Doheny, Kathleen. Health.US News.com).

Thankfully, The L.A. Times Newspaper posted an article in which they name thirteen of the best running and hiking places in Los Angeles. Not only will you enjoy a calorie-burning jog, but you'll do it surrounded by natural beauty. Best of all...it's free!

Click the following link for information on the various beach, mountain, and park trails: LA Times

Happy running!

USC/AQMD Health Study: The Health Effects of Air Pollution on Children

The Health Effects of Air Pollution on Children

By: Michael T. Kleinman, Ph.D.

Professsor, Department of Community and Environmental Medicine

University of California, Irvine - Fall 2000

The following study was conducted by investigators/researchers at the University of Southern California, and it reveals of the harmful effects that pollution has on children. Furthermore, it becomes an eye opener on how this issue continues to plague us to this day in Wilmington and surrounding communities. Please click here to view the entire study.

"Why Are Children More Susceptible to Air Pollution Than Adults?

In many health effects research studies, children are considered as if they were small adults. This is not really true. There are many differences between children and adults in the ways that they respond to air pollution. For example, children take in more air per unit body weight at a given level of exertion than do adults. When a child is exercising at maximum levels, such as during a soccer game or other sports event, they may take in 20 percent to 50 percent more air -- and more air pollution -- than would an adult in comparable activity.

Another important difference is that children do not necessarily respond to air pollution in the same way as adults. Adults exposed to low levels of the pollutant ozone will experience symptoms such as coughing, soreness in their chests, sore throats, and sometimes headaches. Children, on the other hand, may not feel the same symptoms, or at least they do not acknowledge them when asked by researchers. It is currently not known if children actually do not feel the symptoms or if they ignore them while preoccupied with play activities.

This probably does not mean that children are less sensitive to air pollution than adults. There are several good studies that show children to have losses in lung functions even when they don’t cough or feel discomfort. This is important because symptoms are often warning signals and can be used to trigger protective behavior. Children may not perceive these warning signals and might not reduce their activities on smoggy days.

Children also spend more time outside than adults. The average adult, except for those who work mostly outdoors, spends most of their time indoors -- at home, work, or even at the gym. Children spend more time outside, and are often outdoors during periods when air pollution is at its highest.

The typical adult spends 85 percent to 95 percent of their time indoors, while children may spend less than 80 percent of their time indoors. Children may also exert themselves harder than adults when playing outside.

Perhaps the most important difference between adults and children is that children are growing and developing. Along with their increased body size, children's lungs are growing and changing, too." (http://www.aqmd.gov/forstudents/health_effects_on_children.html#WhyChildren).