Health Effects Institute 2019 Annual Conference

Chairs: David Foster, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Frank Kelly, King’s College London, United Kingdom

Mobility systems are undergoing a paradigm shift and have the potential to significantly change the way people travel. Rideshare businesses are expanding, and innovations and investments in electric and autonomous vehicles are increasing. In response, the relationship between transportation and air quality is also expected to change, but the actual path that change will take is not yet known. This session will explore the likely impact of emerging mobility trends on current and future air quality and health.

Chairs: Jennifer Peel, Colorado State University, and Allen Robinson, Carnegie Mellon University

Wildfire smoke is increasingly recognized as an important source of air pollution, and frequency and intensity of wildfires are likely to increase with climate change. Wildfires and wildfire smoke composition are complex and dynamic, making exposure characterization difficult. Increasing evidence links air pollution from wildfire smoke to adverse health effects, in particular respiratory morbidity. This session will explore perceptions and realities about wildfires and their global impacts.

Chairs: Amy Herring, Duke University, and Sverre Vedal, University of Washington, Seattle

Although ambient air pollution levels are declining in high-income regions, epidemiological studies report associations with health effects at levels below current standards, raising questions about even lower standards. HEI is in the midst of funding three studies investigating the health effects of low-level exposure in very large populations in the United States, Canada, and Europe. This session will present the results currently available from those studies and their strengths and weaknesses identified by an independent HEI Review Panel, and discuss implications for future risk assessment and regulation.