Adverse Health Effects That Are Associated with Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure

One example of an adverse health effect that has been associated with exposure to NO2 is that it can irritate airways and aggravate diseases like asthma in the short term. It’s also been stated that long term exposure to NO2 can lead to asthma development. Studies show that people with asthma, like children and the elderly have a larger risk for the health effects that NO2 can cause [1].

For example, a study with 843 children conducted in eight non-urban areas for a span of 2 years found that increased levels of traffic-related NO2 were correlated with higher rates of respiratory symptoms. This air pollution caused the exacerbation of asthma symptoms, including wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing, and was observed in individuals exposed to elevated levels of NO2, especially in areas with high traffic emissions [3].

This is a health concern that continues to grow as the years pass, being that air pollution continues to escalate at an alarming rate, especially in rural areas. NO2 exposure plays a big role in this health concern, being that in this study, it was discovered that respiratory diseases, such as asthma, were increased in communities that exhibited higher levels of NO2. Throughout this study, the researchers continued to emphasize the dangers that NO2 presents to certain age groups, especially those just beginning their education in elementary (7, 8 year olds).

The researchers stated at the end of the study, that more extensive studies on NO2 and it's growing impact on children would prove helpful to further understand the level of caution that should be posed with this specific health concern.

The dose-response relationship between NO2 exposure and asthma varies, being it depends on the susceptibility of a human, the time of exposure, and includes the possibility of other pollutants that can affect the response as well [3]. Reading through the data and studies that have been conducted, it’s become clear that NO2 plays a role in causing asthma symptoms to worsen, and that susceptible groups grow more impacted depending on the duration of exposure (short vs long term).

The EPA has stated that NO2 is considered to be a significant health concern, resulting in standards being set to protect public health, such as setting maximum concentrations allowed in outdoor air to certify that it is within safe limits. An example of this being utilized in today's environments includes monitors that were set in 40 sites across the US. They identified locations in states, such as: Massachusetts, Texas, California and Pennsylvania, all of which have been given specific regulations for NO2 levels allowed in the air, in order to combat the growing diagnoses of asthma in vulnerable populations, which include young kids, elderly and people with pre-existing respiratory issues. Read more here on the official EPA website on these regulations and exposed locations [7].

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