The Role of Global Air Pollution in Aging and Disease, by Professor Caleb FinchElsevier Academic Press, 2018
Here’s my review: read this book!
I have the honor and pleasure of serving on an air quality advisory board with Professor Caleb Finch (University of Southern California). He is a true pioneer in the science of aging and has literally written the book (actually, several books and over 600 scientific papers) on aging. Like Professor Ole Fanger who pioneered indoor air quality and comfort effects on human performance, Professor Finch, who is 80, began his career long ago in the science of aging when others thought the field was too complex and ill-defined. Fortunately, Caleb had Professor Carl Woese (late University of Illinois professor who we Illini are very proud of) as a mentor who encouraged him to follow his interests and not the opinions of others.
As our advisory board sat down to dinner, I was relieved to order food after Professor Finch, so that I could alter my order if needed. If he ordered fish, I’d order fish. If he went for beef, I’d go for beef. Caleb ordered a small steak, which was my first preference for that restaurant, so no alterations were required. At breakfast the next morning, I was similarly relieved to see him order eggs since I raise hens for eggs at Build Equinox (stop by to visit us, and you’ll receive some eggs!).
The book is riveting from the very first paragraph:
“Environmental gerontology is upon us: Because of the low heritability of life span, we must look to lifestyle and environment as the strongest determinants of the life span. Not only do individual outcomes of aging depend on lifestyle choices of diet and exercise, but also individuals have different exposure to ubiquitous airborne toxins that have major roles in aging.”
Rather than giving a blow-by-blow description of book sections, let me say that this book connects the dots between air pollution and our health. The book is written toward us, a general audience, in mind. Yes, some of you (like me) will need to use Wikipedia to understand some terms like “myelination”, but it is well worth it as you develop a deeper understanding of biophysical processes that link the air we breathe to processes that transport pollutants and particulates into our bodies, organs and brains.
I will finish with the following comments from Professor Finch:
• Our longevity and morbidity are 25% genetic and 75% environmental surroundings.
• Environmental effects are multi-generational. Our Mothers’ eggs were fully formed when she was a fetus within our Grandmothers.
• One pollutant can cause multiple health problems, and multiple pollutants can combine to cause a single health problem. It is complex!
• There is no safe level of particulates, but 12 micrograms per cubic meter is perhaps a reasonable upper limit.
• Environmental pollutants accelerate aging. Long term, low concentration pollutant exposures cause low grade inflammations that continually stress our bodies and minds, taking an unnoticeable damaging toll over the years.
Let me finish by saying that continuous worry about air quality in your home is stressful and damaging. That is what drives Build Equinox to develop technologies for seamless and automatic management of IAQ so that we can enjoy other things in life that make us happy.
