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Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 107, Number 8, August 1999

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Daily Mortality and Air Pollution in Santa Clara County, California: 1989-1996

David Fairley

Bay Area Air Quality Management District, San Francisco, California, USA

Abstract
Since the last revision of the national particulate standards, there has been a profusion of epidemiologic research showing associations between particulates and health effects--mortality in particular. Supported by this research, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency promulgated a national standard for particulate matter less than/equal to 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5). Nevertheless, the San Francisco Bay Area of California may meet this new standard. This study investigates the relationship between daily mortality and air pollution in Santa Clara County (a Bay Area county) using techniques similar to those utilized in earlier epidemiologic studies. Statistically significant associations persist in the early 1990s, when the Bay Area met national air pollution standards for every criteria pollutant. Of the various pollutants, the strongest associations occur with particulates, especially ammonium nitrate and PM2.5. The continuing presence of associations between mortality and air pollutants calls into question the adequacy of national standards for protecting public health. Key words: air pollution, ammonium nitrate, carbon monoxide, epidemiology, National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), ozone, PM2.5, Poisson regression. Environ Health Perspect 107:637-641 (1999). [Online 25 June 1999]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1999/107p637-641fairley/abstract.html

Address correspondence to D. Fairley, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, 939 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 USA. Telephone: (415) 749-4656. Fax: (415) 749-4741. E-mail: dfairley@baaqmd.gov

The author wishes to thank J. Mann and T. Porco from the San Francisco Department of Public Health for their help and suggestions on the use of generalized additive models and modeling building simulations.

The opinions expressed here are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Board of Directors or staff of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

Received 19 January 1999; accepted 31 March 1999.

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Last Updated: June 25, 1999