The World Health Organization (WHO) published the new Global Air Quality Guidelines on September 22, 2021, which show the damage caused by air pollution to human health, and recommends even lower tolerable concentrations of pollutants in the air. The theme has been studied for many years by researchers at the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), one of the most prominent institutions in the world in the production of articles on pollution and health.
Professor Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva, of FMUSP Pathology Department, participated in the review of these standards recently released by the WHO. He also worked as a member of the committee for the elaboration of the guidelines previously released in 2005, together with Prof. Nelson da Cruz Gouveia, of the FMUSP Preventive Medicine Department. The WHO proposal is that this information can serve all countries to reach recommended levels of air quality, based on evidence, gradually and with significant benefits in reducing diseases.
“The contribution of the FMUSP Pathology Department team, mine and other FMUSP researchers is in the scientific production on the topic of air pollution, which, added to studies carried out in other parts of the world, are used by the WHO for updates air quality guides”, says Prof. Nelson Gouveia, who carries out epidemiological research that has shown the effects and impacts of air pollution on health.
Researcher Mariana Matera Veras, Head of the Laboratory of Environmental and Experimental Pathology (LIM/05) at Hospital das Clínicas (HC) at FMUSP, reported that there is a big change in the WHO air quality standards and that they vary according to advances. of knowledge. The researcher provokes the question: “What are the effects on health? What would be the safe limits? What is the relevance in terms of public health? What justifies Brazil not being in line with these WHO guidelines?”. She states: “there is a significant inequality in the effect of pollution on the population and in our country there are no consistent public policies”. Mariana Veras cites as examples of initiatives that were left aside, the 100 percent clean bus fleet and vehicle inspection, in addition, she reiterates that "the cost of air pollution is very high" and from the "point of view of unacceptable health”.
Pollution and Health at FMUSP
The studies on air pollution at FMUSP were consolidated with Prof. Emeritus György Miklós Böhm, of the FMUSP Pathology Department, who, in the mid-1970s, presented the project for the creation of the Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution to the Foundation for Research Support of the State of Sao Paulo (FAPESP), implemented in 1979 with the contribution of grant from the State of São Paulo. Initially, the tests were in the line of investigation and comparison of the toxicity of different fuels. In the late 1980s, the Laboratory received a boost, with the admission of Prof. Paulo Saldiva to the Faculty of FMUSP, which expanded activities and research in the area of pollution and human health and other related topics.
Currently, the Laboratory has lines of research in pulmonary pathology; air pollution and its effects on human health; environmental toxicology; pathophysiology of acute lung injury; pulmonary mechanics; immunopathology and asthma remodeling; pathology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; environmental epidemiology and environmental education; and pulmonary pathology at autopsy.
The researcher Mariana Veras stated that there is already much evidence in the area, but more and more, new effects of pollutants are being discovered. She cites as relevant topics for the LIM/05 study the “association of pollution with neurodegenerative diseases, which is extremely relevant nowadays, when talking about Alzheimer's and the increase in these incidences; metabolic syndromes; development of the nervous system with emphasis on neurodegeneration; autoimmune diseases and etc”. The Laboratory also stands out for its “research on air pollution, its effects on climate change and what results they imply on health”, a line of research led by Prof. Paulo Saldiva.
Initially, the investigations at FMUSP took place from the aspect of whether there were in fact health effects of environmental levels of pollution, which “has been growing, to the point that, today, there is solid evidence that pollution is perhaps the biggest environmental factor responsible for the burden of disease”, says Prof. Roger Chammas, Vice-Director of FMUSP.
Access the new WHO Global Guidelines guide at: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/345329
