Protecting human health from air pollution: shifting from a single-pollutant to a multipollutant approach.
To date, the assessment of public health consequences of air pollution has largely focused on a single-pollutant approach aimed at estimating the increased risk of adverse health outcomes associated with the exposure to a single air pollutant, adjusted for the exposure to other air pollutants. However, air masses always contain many pollutants in differing amounts, depending on the types of emission sources and atmospheric conditions. Because humans are simultaneously exposed to a complex mixture of air pollutants, many organizations have encouraged moving towards "a multipollutant approach to air quality." Although there is general agreement that multipollutant approaches are desirable, the challenges of implementing them are vast.
Dominici
Francesca
F
Department of Biostatistics, Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. fdominic@hsph.harvard.edu
Peng
Roger D
RD
Barr
Christopher D
CD
Bell
Michelle L
ML
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency
D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter