3093 Air quality and its association with human health effects - an update

Overview:

Proceedings of the October 2000 IP workshop Air quality and its association with human health effects - an update.

That such a link exists has been much discussed. The relationship between ill health and the episodes of 'smog' at the end of the last century are not disputed. The results of more recent studies to identify and understand the effects on health of much lower levels of air pollution however, are more difficult to interpret. This has resulted in a divergence of views amongst the experts, which are only recently being reconciled.

The papers contained in this publication set out the issues related to air quality, the association between human health and air quality and the difficulties and advantages associated with the use of environmental epidemiology in this area.

Specifically: Air pollution - Better or Worse by Prof R. L. Maynard, Air Pollution and Exposure Modelling for Short and long-term Health Effects by Prof David Briggs, Acute Effects of Air Pollution by Prof Ross Anderson, Chronic Health Effects of Air Pollution by Prof Paul Elliott, and Mechanisms of the Effects of Particulate Air Pollution by Prof Anthony Seaton.

It has been argued by some that the industry and its products has an effect on air quality. The information in this document helps clarify the current understanding of the issue, and provides a better awareness of the strengths and limitations of current techniques of analysis.