title: Accuracy of quantification of risk using a single-pollutant Air Quality Index.
abstract: Health risks associated with short-term exposure to ambient air pollution are communicated to the public by the US EPA through the Air Quality Index (AQI), but it remains unclear whether the current regulatory-based, single-pollutant AQI fully represents the actual risks of air pollution-related illness. The objective of this study is to quantify cardiovascular hospital admissions attributable to PM2.5at each AQI category. Based on National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the highest AQI value among criteria pollutants (driver pollutant) is reported daily. We investigated excess cardiovascular hospital admissions attributable to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure from 2000 to 2010 in Bronx, Erie, Queens, and Suffolk counties of New York. Daily total, unscheduled cardiovascular hospital admissions (principal diagnosis) for individuals aged 20-99 years, concentration-response functions for PM2.5, and estimated quarterly effective daily concentrations were used to calculate excess cardiovascular hospital admissions when PM2.5was reported as the driver pollutant and when PM2.5was not reported as the driver pollutant at each AQI category. A higher proportion of excess hospital admissions attributable to PM2.5occurred when PM2.5was the driver pollutant (i.e., ~70% in Bronx County). The majority of excess hospital admissions (i.e., >90% in Bronx County) occurred when the AQI was <100 ("good" or "moderate" level of health concern) regardless of whether PM2.5was the driver pollutant. During the warm season (April-September), greater excess admissions in Suffolk County occurred when PM2.5was not the AQI driver pollutant. These results indicate that a single-pollutant index may inadequately communicate the adverse health risks associated with air pollution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University, Tuxedo Park, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perlmutt
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stieb
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University, Tuxedo Park, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cromar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012621:Seasons; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D001335:Vehicle Emissions