New EPA Assessment Highlights Health Hazards at Lower Concentrations, 7-21-06
EPA has published a provisional assessment of recent studies on the health effects of particulate matter exposure. The assessment finds that new studies of fine and coarse particles document adverse effects at lower concentrations than the studies reviewed in the 2004 Criteria Document.
The Provisional Assessment includes synopses of new PM studies published since April 2002 and not included in the 2004 CD. Its conclusions support the contention that the proposed fine and coarse particle standards are not sufficiently protective of public health.
Here is the conclusion in a nutshell:
“We find that: (a) the new studies generally strengthen the evidence that acute and
chronic exposures to fine particles and acute exposure to thoracic coarse particles are associated with health effects, (b) some of the new epidemiologic studies report effects in areas with lower concentrations of PM2.5 or PM10-2.5 than earlier reports; (c) new toxicology and epidemiologic studies link various health outcomes with a range of fine particle sources and components, in
particular from traffic-related pollution; and (d) new toxicology studies report effects of thoracic
coarse particles, but do not provide evidence to support distinguishing effects from exposure to
urban and rural particles.”
The full document is available from EPA [www.epa.gov/ncea] online.
