NEISA Publications

ABSTRACT

There is overwhelming evidence that anthropogenic air pollution is detrimental to human health. New England is currently experiencing an asthma epidemic and has many counties that do not meet the current EPA air quality standards. However, virtually no studies on air quality and health have been completed in New England, despite its population of 14 million people and unique air chemistry and weather phenomena. Until now, it has simply been inferred that associations between air chemistry and human health found in other places must be similar in northern New England. The need for a better understanding of this relationship was established at the Conference of the New England Governors and the Eastern Canadian Premiers, where air quality and health research was identified as a priority in the region (NEG/ECP, 2002).

Hospital emergency room (ER) records from the period 1996-2000 from Portland, Maine and Manchester, New Hampshire are reviewed and compared to daily records of air quality and weather. Time-series analysis utilizing generalized additive models revealed significant increases in ER visits due to sulfur dioxide and ozone in the Portland. In Portland, an interquartile range (IQR) increase in SO was associated with a 5% (95% CI 2-7%) increase in all respiratory ER visits and a 6% (95% CI 1-12%) increase in asthma visits. An IQR increase in O3 was associated with a 5% (95% CI 1-10%) increase in Portland asthmatic ER visits. Positive, but not statistically significant, associations were found in Manchester. The lack of significance is probably due to the smaller size of the city. The results indicate that elevated concentrations of SO2 and O3, even at levels below current air quality standards, significantly impact public health in northern New England. The associations reported in this study are of special interest for the region, as much of its pollution, both SO2 and O3, is transported from sources in other states (Cleveland et al., 1976; LeClair, 1997). The presence of a detrimental effect of air pollution on human health suggests that pollution sources outside the region may be partly responsible for health impacts within northern New England.

Full Thesis (3.2 MB)