TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Air Pollution A1 - Samet, Jonathan M. A1 - Zhang, Jim A2 - Boulton, Matthew L. A2 - Wallace, Robert B. Y1 - 2022 N1 - T2 - Maxcy-Rosenau-Last Public Health & Preventive Medicine, 16e AB - In 2020 as this chapter was written, the scientific evidence is certain: ambient air pollution, that is, contamination of outdoor air consequent to human activities, is a major, global cause of morbidity (ill health) and premature mortality (early death).1 While the rise of ambient or outdoor air pollution is relatively recent in a historical context, air pollution has probably had adverse effects on human health throughout history. The use of fire for heating and cooking came with exposure to smoke outdoors and indoors, an exposure that persists today for the billions who use biomass fuels for cooking and heating. The rise of cities concentrated the emissions of pollutants from dwellings and industry and led to air pollution that received comment and was considered a danger to health. The problem of air pollution received attention centuries ago in London, polluted by widespread coal burning.2 However, regulation was resisted even then. SN - PB - McGraw Hill CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/11/10 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1182673267 ER -