Respirami IV International Seminar Recent Advances on Air Pollution and Health
Milan, Italy, 17th-18th June, 2022
Scientific Directors:
Prof. Francesco Forastiere
Prof. Sergio A. Harari
Prof. Michal Krzyzanowski
Prof. Pier Mannuccio Mannucci
Rationale
Air pollution is one of the most important risk factors for global morbidity, disability and mortality. Because
a huge number of individuals are currently exposed to this risk in high-income as well as in low-income
countries, the health care and public health dimensions of its consequences are impressive, considering
that, according to global data stemming concordantly from WHO and the Global Burden of Disease epidemiological study, at least 7 million premature deaths are due to ambient and household air pollution. With
this background, together with the team of epidemiologists from Lazio (led by Francesco Forastiere and
Massimo Stafoggia) plus a former staff member of WHO (Michal Krzyzanowski), first in 2015 we chose to organize every three years an independent international seminar called RespiraMi, with the goal to gather the
most distinguished global experts and prompt them to present their recent and mostly unpublished data
on the progress of science towards tackling the global issue of outdoor and indoor air pollution.
The fourth 2022 edition and scientific program of the Seminar (RespiraMi 4) enlists a faculty of speakers
from four continents (Europe, North America and Asia), who will put special emphasis on the effects of
air pollution on the weakest groups of world citizens: the newborn, pregnant women, older and poorest
people, as well as on the growing evidence that air pollution is a cause of most common, growing and devastating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson and dementia.
The 2022 International Seminar “Recent Advances on Air Pollution and Health” will be organized as a hybrid
event lasting two days in Milan, on June 17 and 18, in order to provide insights not only on the current state
of the art but also a look on to the future of air quality and related research efforts.
Session 1 will summarize the new and recent evidence that prompted WHO to release the updated Air Quality Guidelines (AQG), designed to preserve better than the previous guidelines health state of citizens of the
whole world on the basis of new evidence on the deleterious effects even of low levels of pollutants.
The session will also offer new evidence on the effects on health of specific pollutants such as NO2 and biomass burning emissions. Session 2 will deal with new aspects pertaining to several damages of air pollution on
human health, with special emphasis on outcomes such as mental health and cognitive development as well
as on pregnancy complications. Session 3 will offer a systematic review of selected effects of traffic-related air
pollution, with special emphasis on mortality but also on morbidity for cardiovascular and respiratory disease
and on birth outcomes. Session 4 will provide new evidence on the beneficial effects of greenness and how
to best design the ecosystem service of trees and ornamental potted plants in order to reduce indoor and
outdoor pollution. Session 5 deals with the burden of diseases stemming from major air pollution sources,
with specific evidence from highly polluted countries from the third world such as India, Nigeria and Ghana.
Session 6 will tackle the formidable challenges warranted to achieve a cleaner air and illustrate in this context
the European Green Deal program, as well as the ongoing plan to update the European air quality legislation.
Session 7 will feature the current burden of air pollution in Italy and the role of Italian researchers from the
Network on Environment and Health, and will also feature the impact on ambient air pollution of COVID-19
lockdown restrictions in Milan and Rome. Finally, Session 8 will be based on a panel discussion addressing the
questions of future planning of research on air pollution, and we expect to get comments and suggestions by
the live but also remote audience to the Seminar. Interested participants, both in presence and at distance,
should get registered at Fondazione Menarini, but registration is free of charge.
To non-health care users, we recognise the possibility to subscribe for the event starting next week. From any information or warnings please use our Contact Us