Health risks of short-term SO2 exposure to exercising asthmatics.
A method is described for quantifying health risks to asthmatics briefly exposed to elevated levels of SO2. By combining symptomological and physiological measurements, we have developed a dose-response surface that relates both severity and incidence of response to ambient air quality levels. The complete model to assess potentially avoidable risks includes power plant emission data; ambient SO2 background levels; demographic and activity patterns of asthmatics, the identified population at risk; and the dose-response surface. The estimated annual risk to persons experiencing an SO2-induced response due to a nearby power plant is quite small (response rates under 3 percent). Uncertainties due to modeling errors, variations in activity patterns, demographics and physiological response are discussed.
P C
PC
Freudenthal
H D
HD
Roth
T
T
Hammerstrom
C
C
Lichtenstein
R E
RE
Wyzga
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity*; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001250:Asthma, Exercise-Induced / Q000139:chemically induced*; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000633:toxicity*
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide