WHO European Centre for Environment and Health

1. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health HEALTH RISKS OF PARTICULATEMATTER AIR POLLUTION An overview for the 41st Session of GRPE M. Krzyzanowski WHO ECEH Bilthoven Division

2. Urban Particulate Matter – TEM image of a filter Source: BeruBe et al, in Particulate Matter, ed. Maynard & Howard, BIOS Sc Publ 1999

4. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health WHO Air Quality Guidelines, 2nd edition Particulate matter (PM10 or PM2.5) • “Available information does not allow a judgement • to be made of concentrations below which • no effects would be expected” • “Use risk estimates for standard setting”

5. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Studies on health impacts of PM • Short term changes in pollution level • (Time-series; panel) • Efects of long-term exposure • (cohort studies)

6. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health effect estimates per 10 mg/m3 increase in 24-h mean PM10 concentrations Source: WHO AQG 2nd ed.

7. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Questions in interpretation of studies on short-term impacts of PM • Physiopathological mechanism of effects? • Extent of displacement of time of health effect? • Harvesting?

8. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Recent studies on effects of PM on cardiovascular system • Increase in blood viscosity in days with high PM • (Peters et al, 1997; no effect in Seaton et al 1999) • Increased heart rate associated with increased • PM level (Stone & Godleski 1999, Peters et al, 1999, Pope et al. 1999) • Incidence in cardiac arrhythmia and PM level • (Peters et al, 2000)

9. Estimated effect of a 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 Source: Schwartz, Am J Epi 2000

10. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health WHO -AQG

11. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Relative risk of mortality by cause of death Re-analysis of US cohort studies 6-cities Study* ACS Study** RR * Per 18.6 µg/m3 PM2.5 ** Per 24.5 µg/m3 PM2.5 Source: HEI 2000

12. RR for all cause mortality in ACS Study Re-analysis of US cohort studies Source: HEI 2000

13. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health % increase in mortality per 10 µg/m3 PM10 by PM2.5 /PM10 ratio Meta-analysis of 19 US time-series studies % PM2.5/PM10 Source: Levy et al, 2000

14. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Inflammogenic properties of carbon black particles by particle size % neutrophils in BAL 14 nm 50 nm 260 nm Source: Donaldson et al., 1999

15. Effects of different size of ultrafine and fine PM on daily mortality, Erfurt, 1995-8 Best 1 day lag / distributed lag model Source: Spix et al, 2000

16. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Estimated contribution of the main sources to PM emissions in Europe*) in 1993 *) excluding former Soviet Union Source: Holman et al, 1999

17. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Ambient concentrations of ultrafine (UP) and fine (FP) particles Erfurt Sachsen-Anhalt UP = NC 0.01 – 0.1; FP = MC 0.01 – 2.5  PM2.5 Source: Wichmann & Peters 2000

18. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health 1) All deaths except accidents

19. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health

20. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Number of cases attributable to air pollution in France per year (Künzli et al., Lancet 2000; 356:795-801)

21. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health CONCLUSIONS • PM is associated with a wide range of health effects, • with significant public health consequences • Significant role of fine PM • Role of ultrafine particles – to be studied

22. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Announcement Understanding the Health Effects of Particulate Air Pollution: Recent Advances and Outstanding Questions A Meeting for Members of Government, Industry and the General Public Organized by WHO and HEI in cooperation with EC DG Environment Brussels , 6-7 March 2001 Information: mkr@who.nl or rokeefe@healtheffects.org