Quantification of health effects related to SO2, NO2, O3 and particulated matter exposure : report from the Nordic Expert Meeting, Oslo, 15-17 October 1995
View/ Open
Abstract
Estimates of exposure-response relationships are needed to assess the health impact of environmental factors. Based on available research evidence, the relationships for the common air pollutants - particulate matter, sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) - were reviewed by the Nordic Expert Meeting. The Meeting was organized by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research in collaboration with the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, and with the financial support of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The report of the Meeting summarizes the discussion and the working papers that provide the background to the discussion. The limitations of current data and restrictions on their application are also addressed. The Meeting concluded by quantifying exposure-response relationships for particulate matter, SO2 and ozone; the relationship for NO2 was not quantified. The Meeting also identified other exposure-response relationships that were felt to be substantiated, but for which the available data did not provide sufficient background to quantify the risk. The reported concentration-response associations relate to short-term changes in risk due to changes in levels of pollutants. For chronic effects of prolonged exposures the data were judged to be insufficient for quantification. More research is necessary on the chronic and other effects identified but not quantifiable. Work needs to be done on health outcomes that give an early warning of a disease process. Greater comparability in definition of health outcomes and in research methods, as well as better reporting of study results, are necessary to allow general conclusions to be drawnCitation
Nordic Expert Meeting (1995: Oslo, Norway), Clench-Aas, J, Krzyzanowski, Michal & World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe. (1995). Quantification of health effects related to SO2, NO2, O3 and particulated matter exposure : report from the Nordic Expert Meeting, Oslo, 15-17 October 1995. Copenhagen : WHO Regional Office for Europe. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/108159
Description
EUR/ICP/EHAZ 94 04/DT01142 p.