Acute cardiorespiratory health effects of ambient air pollution in Atlanta (Georgia)

Epidemiology evidence supports an association between ambient air pollution and cardiorespiratory outcomes, but uncertainty remains regarding the particular pollutants involved and the potentially susceptible populations. Complementary investigations of the relationship between air pollution and cardiorespiratory outcomes were conducted making use of extensive air quality data collected at the Aerosol Research and Inhalation Epidemiology Study (ARIES) monitoring station in Atlanta. Two studies examined the association between pollution measures and respiratory, emergency department (ED) visits. One ED study utilized air quality measurements from the ARIES monitor from August 1, 1998, to August 31, 2000, while the other ED study used air quality measurements from state monitoring networks from period January 1, 1993, to August 31, 2000. Four million ED visits were compiled from 31 of 41 hospitals. ED visits for five respiratory groups—asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), upper respiratory illness (URI), pneumonia, and all respiratory illness—were assessed relative to daily air quality indices. Associations were observed between selected gaseous pollutants (ozone, NO₂, SO₂, CO) and particle measures (PM₁₀, PM_2.5) and all respiratory illness, URI, COPD, and pneumonia visits. Neither ED study provided evidence of an association with asthma visits in primary analyses. A third study assessed apnea and bradycardia events in infants on home monitors relative to pollution measures from the ARIES monitoring station from August 1, 1998, through August 31, 2000. This study was the first to examine apnea and bradycardia events in relation to air pollution. The population of infants is at high-risk for cardiorespiratory events and may be particularly susceptible to the effects of air pollution. The results of this study provided little evidence of an association between ambient pollution and cardiorespiratory events in infants on home monitors, and suggest that if there is such a relationship, it is not likely to be a strong one. This collection of studies allowed for the examination of the health effects of a broad range of air quality measures and contributed to the evidence of an association between ambient air pollution and acute cardiorespiratory health outcomes.