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Tool 4: Health impacts in some cities
The impacts of vehicle emissions are most visible in cities. With more vehicles polluting the air, higher density populations exposed to the poor air quality, and buildings that prevent the dissipation of emissions, these impacts are greatly compounded.
- Cities in the US, the EU and Japan have very tough regulations on vehicle emissions yet still suffer from air quality problems, due to the enormous volumes of traffic.
- Cities in the developing world that have far less traffic still experience substantial problems, due to factors such as: less stringent (or absent) emissions regulations; higher numbers of older and poorly maintained vehicles; congested driving conditions; and poor fuel quality.
- The most severe air quality is typically found in quickly developing cities – such as Beijing, Bangkok, Mexico City and Jakarta – where economic growth drives transport growth, but stricter emissions regulations have not yet been put in place.
Below you will find some examples of estimated health impacts of vehicle emissions from cities around the world.
Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia and has a population of approximately 10.9 million. The air quality is poor, with an annual average suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration of 103 mg/m3 (compared to the recommended 50 mg/m3 in the EU). Furthermore, in 2000, Jakarta was still using leaded petrol. Below is an estimate of health impacts from poor air quality in Jakarta. 
| Table 1: Health Effects in Jakarta |
People Affected by: |
Particulate matter |
Lead |
Premature Mortality |
1 000 |
600 |
Respiratory Symptoms |
29 000 000 |
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Lower Respiratory Illness |
95 000 |
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Asthma Attacks |
427 000 |
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Chronic Bronchitis |
9 700 |
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Hypertension |
|
380 000 |
Non-fatal Heart Attacks |
|
500 |
IQ Decrement |
|
4 000 000 |
Respiratory Hospital Admissions |
1 900 |
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Emergency Room Visits |
37 000 |
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Restricted Activity Days |
5 900 000 |
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Sources: Ostro (1994) and Resosudamo (1996) presented in the Integrated Vehicle Emission Strategy Workshop October 16-18, 2001, Jakarta, Indonesia |
Santiago, the capital of Chile, has a population of 4.4 million. Its measured annual PM concentration is estimated to be approximately 113 mg/m3.
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| Table 2: Health Effects in Santiago |
| People affected by particulate matter |
| Premature mortality: |
4 900 |
| Respiratory hospital admission: |
4 300 |
| Emergency room visits |
84 000 |
| Restricted adult activity days: |
12 000 000 |
| Acute bronchitis in children: |
200 000 |
| Asthma exarbation |
10 000 000 |
| Respiratory symptoms: |
65 000 000 |
| Chronic bronchitis: |
13 000 |
Source: UNEP AQM tool book. Numbers have a margin of +/- >50%
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Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Its population is approximately 4.7 million, and it has an annual PM concentration of about 174 mg/m3.
| Table 3: Health Effects in Dhaka |
| People affected by particulate matter |
| Premature deaths |
10 350 |
| Chronic bronchitis |
74 000 |
| Restricted activity days |
70 000 000 |
| Respiratory hospital diseases |
14 000 |
| Emergency room visits |
286 000 |
| Asthma attacks and |
2 800 000 |
| Respiratory symptom days |
220 000 000 |
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Source: An Economic Evaluation of Air Pollution in Dhaka City A.K. Azad, J. Sultana and S. Jahan; p.83-87, International Conference on Chemical Engineering 2003, Dept. of Chemical Eng., BUET, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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