Air Pollution

Special Report 22 describes a study led by a team of investigators from Fudan and Tsinghua Universities, other Chinese research institutions, and HEI scientists Allison Patton and Katherine Walker, as part of HEI’s Global Health Program. The report provides an analysis of emissions from shipping and related activities and their impacts on air quality and health in the Yangtze River Delta and Shanghai.

Research Report 200 describes the first-phase results of a study examining any association between exposure to low levels of air pollution — both PM_2.5 and O₃ — and all-cause mortality in a population of 61 million Medicare enrollees residing in the continental United States. The report also presents the detailed Commentary on the study by HEI’s Low-Exposure Epidemiology Studies Review Panel.

Research Report 198 describes a study by Dr. Jason Surratt and his colleagues evaluating the toxicity of fine particulate matter formed from the photochemical oxidation of isoprene in a chamber.

Research Report 199 describes a study led by Dr. Xiaoliang Wang evaluating how mobile-source emissions have changed by examining real-world emissions characterization in two traffic tunnels: the Shing Mun Tunnel in Hong Kong and the Fort McHenry Tunnel in Baltimore, Maryland.

Communication 18 provides a critical assessment of the state of the science examining the linkages between household air pollution formed by the burning of solid fuels and noncommunicable diseases. The report updates previous systematic reviews with the most recent studies. It answers fundamental questions on the scientific basis for estimating health burden and what the evidence suggests about the exposure reductions necessary to achieve improved health outcomes. The Summary for Policy Makers, based on Communication 18, presents the main conclusions about exposures to household air pollution and about its contribution to noncommunicable diseases globally.