Air pollution can affect how well we sleep, scientists discover – The Guardian

Report on the Impact of Air Pollution on Sleep Quality and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Global Health Concern

An international evidence review has established a significant link between air pollution and diminished sleep quality, particularly among adults over the age of 45. The findings underscore the urgent need to address air quality as a critical component of public health, directly aligning with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Relevance to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The report’s central finding—that cleaner air improves sleep, cognition, and overall resilience—directly supports the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The research highlights the negative health impacts of using solid fuels for indoor cooking and heating, reinforcing the importance of transitioning to clean energy sources to protect human health.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: By identifying traffic-related exhaust as a key pollutant, the study emphasizes the necessity of improving urban air quality to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Key Findings from the Evidence Review

Outdoor Air Pollution and its Impact on Sleep

The comprehensive review, which synthesized 25 high-quality studies involving 1.2 million people, identified a consistent correlation between long-term exposure to outdoor air pollutants and negative sleep outcomes.

1. Scope of Research: The analysis covered populations in six countries, including China, India, the US, and Germany.
2. Identified Pollutants: Long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and carbon dioxide was strongly linked to sleep disruption.
3. Quantifiable Health Benefits: A meta-analysis concluded that reducing average PM2.5 pollution to levels recommended by the World Health Organization could decrease the likelihood of poor sleep in middle-aged and older adults by approximately 10%. This presents a clear pathway for achieving measurable progress toward SDG 3.

Indoor Air Pollution: A Neglected Contributor to Poor Health

The review also investigated the effects of indoor air quality, revealing a significant threat to health and well-being within homes, particularly for vulnerable populations.

• Solid Fuel Use: Individuals using solid fuels like wood or coal for heating and cooking experienced demonstrably worse sleep quality, including higher rates of insomnia and short sleep duration. This directly links the lack of access to clean energy (SDG 7) with adverse health outcomes (SDG 3).
• Sources of Indoor Pollution: In addition to solid fuels, studies have identified pollution leaks from stoves and emissions from cooking with fossil gas as significant indoor air quality problems.
• Mitigation Strategies: Simple interventions, such as using an extractor fan or opening a window during cooking, were found to reduce the negative impacts on sleep.

Policy Recommendations for Integrated SDG Achievement

Expanding the Clean Air Agenda

The findings necessitate a policy shift to address both outdoor and indoor air quality comprehensively. Current clean-air policies, which focus primarily on outdoor sources, are insufficient to protect public health fully.

Recommendations for Action

1. Integrate Sleep as a Health Indicator: Environmental regulations and health impact assessments should formally recognize sleep quality as a core indicator of well-being, thereby strengthening the framework for achieving SDG 3.
2. Promote Clean Household Energy: Policies must accelerate the transition to clean and affordable energy for cooking and heating to mitigate indoor air pollution, a critical step for both SDG 7 and SDG 11.
3. Strengthen Urban Air Quality Management: Municipal authorities should implement stricter controls on traffic emissions and other urban pollution sources to create healthier living environments in line with the objectives of SDG 11.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   The article’s central theme is the negative impact of air pollution on human health, specifically sleep quality. It states that “long-term exposure to outdoor pollutants… was linked to shorter or lower-quality sleep.” It further emphasizes that sleep should be treated as a “core health indicator” because it supports “cognition, mood and overall resilience later in life.” This directly connects to the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages.

2. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   The article discusses indoor air pollution resulting from energy sources used for heating and cooking. It highlights that “People who used solid fuel, such as wood or coal, for heating and cooking… had worse sleep quality.” This contrasts with those who used “clean fuels,” directly addressing the goal of transitioning populations to cleaner and more modern energy sources to mitigate negative health and environmental impacts.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   The research mentioned in the article focuses on air quality in populated areas, such as “older adults living in the Baltimore area” and pollution levels on “busy London roads.” The article notes that “Outdoor air quality may change block-by-block” and is influenced by “exhaust fumes from nearby traffic.” This links the issue of air pollution directly to the urban environment and the goal of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, with a particular focus on air quality.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 3.9

   “By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.”

   • The article directly addresses this target by identifying illnesses (poor sleep, insomnia, short sleep duration) caused by air pollution from sources like particle pollution (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and solid fuel use. The entire review aims to quantify the health burden of air pollution.

2. Target 7.1

   “By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.”

   • This target is relevant through the article’s discussion of indoor air pollution. The comparison between households using “solid fuel, such as wood or coal” and those using “clean fuels” for cooking and heating highlights the health consequences of lacking access to modern and clean energy, thereby underscoring the importance of this target.

3. Target 11.6

   “By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.”

   • The article’s focus on outdoor air pollution in urban settings like Baltimore and London directly relates to this target. It discusses pollutants from “nearby traffic” and the need for “clean air actions” in cities, aligning with the goal of improving urban air quality.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator 3.9.1

   “Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution.”

   • While the article focuses on morbidity (illness) rather than mortality, it provides a framework for measuring the health burden of air pollution. The finding that cutting PM2.5 pollution could “trim the likelihood of poor sleep in middle-aged and older adults by roughly one in 10” is a quantifiable health outcome that aligns with the intent of this indicator, which is to measure the health impact of air pollution.

2. Indicator 7.1.2

   “Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology.”

   • The article implies this indicator by segmenting study populations into “solid fuel users” and those who use “clean fuels.” The research demonstrates that the group using solid fuels suffers from worse sleep quality, implicitly arguing for an increase in the proportion of the population using clean fuels, which is what this indicator measures.

3. Indicator 11.6.2

   “Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted).”

   • This indicator is directly mentioned in the article. It explicitly refers to “particle pollution (PM2.5)” and compares “typical levels found alongside busy London roads” to the “World Health Organization guidelines.” This shows a direct use of measuring PM2.5 levels in a city to assess air quality and its potential impact.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary Table

Source: theguardian.com