Review: Epidemiological basis for particulate air pollution health standards

There are now more than 150 published epidemiologic studies of health effec ts of particulate air pollution and dozens of related literature reviews. T his article explores the basic inferences currently being drawn from the li terature regarding the epidemiologic evidence particulate pollution induced health effects. Although there is not a complete consensus of opinion, mos t reviewers conclude that the overall epidemiologic evidence suggests that particulate air pollution, especially fine combustion-source pollution comm on to many urban and industrial environments, is an important risk factor f or cardiopulmonary disease and mortality. Most of the epidemiological effor t has focused on effects of acute exposure, but effects of chronic exposure may be more important in terms of overall public health relevance. Some re viewers contend that long-term, repeated exposure likely increases the risk of chronic respiratory disease and the risk of cardiorespiratory mortality . There is more general (but still not unanimous) agreement that shortterm exposures to particulate pollution can exacerbate existing cardiovascular a nd pulmonary disease and increase the number of persons in a population who become symptomatic, require medical attention, or die.