ZERO highlights ultrafine particles referred to in a report years ago
People living near Lisbon airport have a higher risk of contracting diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and dementia, according to a study released today by environmental association ZERO, which warns of the dangers of exposure to ultrafine particles.
Ultrafine particles were flagged years ago in a study by Margarida Lopes of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, which the Resident remarked at the time was getting scant attention. Indeed, it was barely mentioned anywhere.
ZERO clearly kept it in mind, however, and has meantime picked up on a study by the European Transport and Environment Federation, which explores the link between ultrafine particles emitted by aeroplanes and the health of people living near Europe’s 32 busiest airports.
“The study suggests that thousands of cases of hypertension, diabetes and dementia in Lisbon and other European cities may be linked to these tiny particles emitted by aeroplanes, with Lisbon being the city with by far the highest concentration of people living, working and studying in the vicinity of the airport,” ZERO explains in a statement.
In the case of the Portuguese capital, around 414,000 people (around 4% of the country’s total population) live within a five kilometre radius of Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado airport and are therefore “particularly exposed to and affected by ultrafine particles“.
The data points to a 20% risk of dementia, a 12% risk of diabetes and a 7% risk of hypertension.
According to ZERO, the “summary of scientific evidence” to estimate the impact on health was based on data from Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands.
“These particles are suspended in the air by aeroplanes, disperse widely in the atmosphere, are a thousand times smaller in diameter than a human hair and are invisible. When inhaled, they easily pass through the lungs into the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, potentially leading to serious long-term health problems, including respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, endocrine and gestational problems,” warns ZERO.
According to the study, it is estimated that the ultrafine particles resulting from the activity of Lisbon airport could be the cause of 15,473 cases of hypertension, 18,615 cases of diabetes and 1,837 cases of dementia among the population of the city and its surroundings.
These figures represent up to 9% of the general population living within a five kilometre radius of Lisbon airport.
“The study now released complements the 2019 Universidade Nova de Lisboa study which unequivocally shows that the concentration of ultrafine particles in some areas of Lisbon rises according to their exposure to the influence of the airport and the movement of aeroplanes. Given the proximity of the airport to the city centre, the effects of the particles extend over significant areas,” stresses ZERO.
The most affected areas are in the immediate vicinity of the airport, namely Alvalade, Campo Grande and Cidade Universitária, where the Hospital de Santa Maria, universities, schools and kindergartens are located, and under the aircraft approach and take-off route, such as Avenidas Novas, Bairro do Rego, Amoreiras and Campolide.
“This is a situation that is unrivalled in any other European airport, disastrous for the health of Lisbon’s citizens who live and go about their lives in these areas, aggravating illnesses caused by excessive noise,” the association warns.
In all the airports considered, exposure to ultrafine particles could be associated with 280,000 cases of hypertension, 330,000 cases of diabetes and 18,000 cases of dementia.
“To date, there are no regulations on safe levels of ultrafine particles in the air, despite the fact that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been warning for over 15 years that this is a pollutant of concern,” laments ZERO.
This was also a point made in the 2019 study.
In order to reduce the impact of ultrafine particles on health, Zero advocates not expanding the capacity of Humberto Delgado airport (as is planned) and closing it “as soon as possible” – as well as promoting the use of sustainable fuels.
“The evidence also shows that airport workers, particularly those who work on the runway, are the most exposed to the effects of ultrafine particles, so specific measures must be put in place to protect their health,” the association argues.
Something not mentioned in ZERO’s statement, but warned about in the 2019 study, are the effects these ultrafine particles have on developing brains (children’s brains, in other words) affecting cognitive skills. ND
Source material: LUSA
