Air Pollution

Research Report 210 presents a study conducted by Dr. Erin McDuffie and Dr. Randall Martin of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Michael Brauer at The University of British Columbia in Canada, and colleagues. The investigators produced the first comprehensive global estimates of contributions from the most common sources of air pollution to people’s exposure to fine particles and to the world’s burden of disease from various causes.

Research Report 208 presents a study by Bert Brunekreef at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and colleagues examining associations between exposures to relatively low levels of air pollution below the current EU standards and several health outcomes among participants in 22 European cohorts. 
 

Research Report 205 presents a study led by Ying-Ying Meng and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, examining the impact of the 2006 California Goods Movement Plan on air quality and healthcare utilization among adults with chronic health conditions who were enrolled in California’s healthcare program for low-income individuals (Medi-Cal).

Research Report 201 presents a study led by Dr. Lydia Contreras at the University of Texas, Austin, who is a recipient of HEI’s Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award. Dr. Contreras and colleagues evaluated how exposure of lung cells to volatile organic compounds plus ozone affects oxidation of ribonucleic acid, a key component of cells. The study aimed to improve understanding of the biological mechanisms by which air pollutants can cause effects in human health, thereby expanding our knowledge of potential causal links between exposure and health.