title: Quantifying the health impacts of ambient air pollutants: recommendations of a WHO/Europe project.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Quantitative estimates of air pollution health impacts have become an increasingly critical input to policy decisions. The WHO project "Health risks of air pollution in Europe--HRAPIE" was implemented to provide the evidence-based concentration-response functions for quantifying air pollution health impacts to support the 2013 revision of the air quality policy for the European Union (EU).
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of experts convened by WHO Regional Office for Europe reviewed the accumulated primary research evidence together with some commissioned reviews and recommended concentration-response functions for air pollutant-health outcome pairs for which there was sufficient evidence for a causal association.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration-response functions link several indicators of mortality and morbidity with short- and long-term exposure to particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide. The project also provides guidance on the use of these functions and associated baseline health information in the cost-benefit analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The project results provide the scientific basis for formulating policy actions to improve air quality and thereby reduce the burden of disease associated with air pollution in Europe.
authors.affiliation: WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Bonn, Germany, herouxm@ecehbonn.euro.who.int.
authors.forename: Marie-Eve
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Héroux
authors.forename: H Ross
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brunekreef
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forastiere
authors.forename: Fintan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hurley
authors.forename: Klea
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katsouyanni
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Krewski
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krzyzanowski
authors.forename: Nino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Künzli
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Querol
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ostro
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Walton
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D005060:Europe; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D010126:Ozone / Q000032:analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D012107:Research Design; D013997:Time Factors; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D010126:Ozone; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide