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Clinical Handbook of Air Pollution-Related Diseases pp 521–542Cite as

Basic Principles for Treatment of Air Pollution-Related Diseases

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Abstract

In this chapter, we speak about the global problem of pollution, and we want to suggest the strategy that governments and citizens should adopt to oppose it. We want to explain the logic, ethical and scientific bases of air pollution prevention also inspired by that wisdom that should induce the community to use effective tools to protect themselves and the ones they care. Fostering healthy lifestyles is another option to fight pollution, provided that the cliché often associated with pollution are properly addressed.

A possible strategic view is hereby proposed, taking in account the complexity of this problem and the fact that many are still unknown. Most of the studies available on this subject in fact focus on the acute effects or on the easily measurable acute outcomes in people recently exposed to high dose of air pollution. On the contrary, the effect of air pollution on human health is constant and complex even above all when pollution is invisible; besides most of the consequences especially in the long term are still unknown.

For this reason, people must be aware of the problem, and education remains a key issue, provided that it is delivered in a proper, targeted and clear way.

A global action is then required, and everyone should take part, as everyone is ultimately involved.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The risk factor must be reversible. However, the reversibility alone has no value, if it is not proven that reducing the risk factor level also reduces mortality (or other measures of effectiveness). It is also essential to know the function which correlates the variation of factor with the variation of the expected events.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Scientific Director of Health Lab of GTechnology Foundation, Modena, Italy

    Antonio Vittorino Gaddi

  2. Caravelli Lab—Technobios EuroGenLab, Bologna, Italy

    Benini Enrica

  3. Henrico Doctors’ Hospitals, Richmond, VA, 23229, USA

    Fredrick O. Odoo

Authors
  1. Antonio Vittorino Gaddi
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  2. Benini Enrica
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  3. Fredrick O. Odoo
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Correspondence to Antonio Vittorino Gaddi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Alder Hey Children’s Hospital , Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Fabio Capello

  2. Scientific Director of Health Lab of GTechnology Foundation, Modena, Italy

    Antonio Vittorino Gaddi

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Gaddi, A.V., Enrica, B., Odoo, F.O. (2018). Basic Principles for Treatment of Air Pollution-Related Diseases. In: Capello, F., Gaddi, A. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Air Pollution-Related Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62731-1_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62731-1_28

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