DALY attributable to air pollution associated with tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer in Europe

Abstract

Abstract Background The evidence of the impact of air pollution on respiratory health is present in recent studies and evaluated in the WHO 2021 Air Quality Guidelines. Air pollution is connected with DALYs associated with tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer attributable to air pollution especially in low- and middle-income countries. is an avoidable risk factor. Methods We analyzed Disability-Adjusted Life-Years (DALY) rates associated with tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer per 100,000 among all ages attributable to air pollution. Estimates were taken from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, for ten countries with the highest DALY rates per 100,000 of tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer in 2019: Monaco, Hungary, Montenegro, Serbia, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Netherlands, and North Macedonia. Results The highest DALY rate per 100,000 attributable to tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer was in Monaco (3210.03), followed by Hungary (2196.24), Montenegro (2108.75) and Serbia (2020.06). The highest DALY rate of tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer attributable to air pollution was in Serbia (388.22), Bosnia and Herzegovina (380.64), Montenegro (378.26), and North Macedonia (331.63). The highest percentage of DALY of tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer attributable to air pollution was in Bosnia and Herzegovina (22.15%), North Macedonia (21.59%), Serbia (19.23%) and Montenegro (17.94%). Conclusions Air pollution is a significant contributable factor in the prevalence of tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer. In the ten observed countries with the highest DALY rates of respiratory cancers, the highest percentage of DALY of tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer attributable to air pollution was in four Ex - Yugoslavia countries. These countries are in emerging need of public health regulations and policies in order to reduce air pollution. Key messages • The highest DALY rate of tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer attributable to air pollution was in four Ex - Yugoslavia countries. • There is an emerging need for public health regulations and policies in order to reduce air pollution and its consequences.