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UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON HUMAN HEALTH
Citation:
PENNELL, W., J. M. SAMET, D. S. GREENBAUM, L. W. REITER, AND H. ZENICK. UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON HUMAN HEALTH. EM: AIR AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION'S MAGAZINE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS. Air & Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA, , 8-14, (2006).
Impact/Purpose:
The objective of this work is to investigate the impact of global climate change on the regional air quality of the United States. Impacts of climate change on meteorological patterns and primary source emissions are investigated as primary elements influencing future air quality.
Description:
Modern air pollution regulation is first and foremost motivated by concerns about the effects of air pollutants on human health and secondarily by concerns about its effects on ecosystems, cultural artifacts, and quality of life values such as visibility. This order of priority is not surprising since a chief responsibility of government is to ensure the health and safety of its citizens. This article briefly describes what is known about the processes by which air pollutants can cause disease, and reviews how this knowledge informs the regulatory process.