title: A study of air pollutants and acute asthma exacerbations in urban areas: status report.
abstract: A study to try to better understand the interactions between various air contaminants and acute asthma exacerbations is described. The study evaluates temporal associations between a panel of air contaminants and acute asthmatic exacerbations as measured by emergency room visits for asthma in communities in the Bronx and Manhattan in New York City (NYC). In addition, ambient levels of various air pollutants in two NYC communities are being compared. Almost 2 years of daily data have been collected for most of the air contaminants to be investigated. The air contaminants measured include gaseous compounds (ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, aldehydes, nitrous acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and ammonia), particulate matter components (metals, elemental and organic carbon, sulfate, hydrogen ion, pollen, mold spores and particle mass and number).
authors.affiliation: New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Toxic Substance Assessment, 547 River Street, Troy, NY 12180-2216, USA. dal02@health.state.ny.us
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luttinger
authors.forename: Lloyd
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000032:analysis; D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology*; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D004630:Emergencies; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid / Q000032:analysis; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D009519:New York City; D017942:Nitric Acid / Q000032:analysis; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides / Q000032:analysis; D009608:Nitrous Acid / Q000032:analysis; D010126:Ozone / Q000032:analysis; D011058:Pollen; D013170:Spores; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000447:Aldehydes; D008670:Metals; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D017942:Nitric Acid; D010126:Ozone; D002244:Carbon; D000641:Ammonia; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid; D009608:Nitrous Acid