African-Americans Face Higher Health Burdens from Ozone Pollution
A new analysis relying on data from 98 U.S. communities finds that African-Americans are at greater risk of premature death from short-term ozone exposures than the general population. Higher risks were also reported for the unemployed and users of public transit. Previous studies had provided strong evidence of an association between short-term ozone exposures and risk of mortality. This follow-up study to the National Morbidity, Mortality, and Air Pollution Study (NMMAPS) was intended to explore community-specific factors that might explain the difference in risk observed across communities.
“Our findings indicate that some populations (i.e., Black/African American and the unemployed) may bear a higher health burden from ozone and that a higher prevalence of central air conditioning may modify ozone exposure, thereby lessening its health impacts,” conclude the authors.
A copy of the abstract is available online at: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/kwm396v1?ct=ct
Bell, ML and Dominici F. Effect modification by community characteristics on the short-term effects of ozone exposure and mortality in 98 US communities. Am J Epi 2008: DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwm396.
