Air Quality and Human Health in New England:
The NOAA Funded AIRMAP and INHALE Projects
Forest Watch Workshop
December 8, 2004
Tom Lambert – Climate Change Research Center
AIRMAP and INHALE Projects
Donora Pennsylvania at Noon, 1952
Ozone: Good Up High - Bad Nearby
Ground level ozone is formed via a chemical reaction
VOCs come primarily from vegetation and industrial sources.
NOx comes from automobiles, trucks, buses, and power plants.
Ozone pollution is a concern primarily during the summer months
when the weather conditions to form it (lots of sun and hot
temperatures) normally occur.
Fine Particles (PM2.5)
Fine particles have diameters less than 2.5 microns.
PM2.5 are composed of dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and
liquid droplets.
Fine particles are formed by:
1. Direct release (fires, exhaust, dust)
2. Chemical reaction
SO2+VOC+NOx+NH3+Water+sunlight = PM2.5
AIRMAP
New England lies directly downwind of major urban and
industrial centers in the eastern United States.
Map of common
storm tracks across
the United States.
New England is a Hot Spot for Childhood Asthma
Lifetime Childhood Asthma by State
New England Region
Lifetime
Prevalence (%)
15
13.0
13.2
12.3
11.1
10.7
10.8
NH
RI
VT
12.3
10
5
0
CT
ME
MA
NE
From New England Asthma Regional Council Report: Asthma In New England (2001 data)
Asthma in exercising children exposed to ozone: a cohort study
Relative Risk of New Asthma Diagnosis
Rob McConnell et al., 2002, THE LANCET vol. 359
4
Low ozone communites
High ozone communities
3
2
1
0
0
3535 children
12 communites
5 years
1
2
Number of sports played
3 or more
Low ozone max 1 hr median: 48 ppb
High ozone max 1 hr median: 74 ppb
“Tip of the Iceberg”
Adverse health effects that could be avoided every year by meeting the US EPA's daily maximum ozone
standard (80 ppb 8-hr) in New York. Figure sections not drawn to scale. From Thurston 1997.
INHALE - Summer 2004 Pulmonary Function Monitoring
Spirometry
Twice daily
Respiratory Symptoms
Once daily
Peak Flow
Over 20,000 Observations with 450 People in New England
Preliminary Observations
• Pulmonary function responds over different
time scales
•
•
•
•
Seasonally
Daily
Within the day
Over weeks
First Second Volume (liters)
0.2
DES/DHHS
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
-0.05
-0.1
-0.15
Retirement Community
-0.2
Jul/6
Jul/18
Jul/30
Aug/10
Aug/22
Sep/2
Sep/14
Sep/25
Jul/6
Jul/18
Jul/30
Aug/10
Aug/22
Sep/2
Sep/14
Sep/25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
-0.05
-0.1
-0.15
-0.2
0.3
Standardized 6-Second Volume (liters)
DES/DHHS
0.2
0.1
0
-0.1
Retirement Community
-0.2
Jul/6
Jul/18
Jul/30
Aug/10
Aug/22
Sep/2
Sep/14
Sep/25
Jul/6
Jul/18
Jul/30
Aug/10
Aug/22
Sep/2
Sep/14
Sep/25
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
-0.1
-0.2
0.4
6-Second Volume
Riverwoods
DES/DHHS
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
Community
Retirement
Riverwoods
-0.8
-1
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
-1
8
12
16
Hour of the day
20
24
90
Ozone – 8 hour
Maximum
Ozone ppbv
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0.2
Jul/6
Jul/18
Jul/30
0.15
Aug/22
Sep/2
Sep/14
Sep/25
First Second Volume
0.1
DES/DHHS
Aug/10
0.05
0
-0.05
-0.1
-0.15
-0.2
Jul/6
Jul/18
Jul/30
Aug/10
Aug/22
Sep/2
Sep/14
Sep/25
100
80
Fine Particulates
µg/m3
60
40
20
0
Jul/6
Jul/18
Jul/30
Aug/10
Aug/22
Sep/2
Sep/14
Sep/25
Jul/6
Jul/18
Jul/30
Aug/10
Aug/22
Sep/2
Sep/14
Sep/25
Jul/6
Jul/18
Jul/30
Aug/10
Aug/22
Sep/2
Sep/14
Sep/25
0.3
0.2
Retirement
FEV6 (liters)
0.1
0
-0.1
-0.2
0.3
DES/DHHS
FEV6 (liters)
0.2
0.1
0
-0.1
-0.2
Continuing Work
• Build models to explain variability in
pulmonary function
• Short term variability
• Seasonal variability
• Additionally
• How are allergens and respiratory symptoms
affecting pulmonary function?
• Are pollutants acting “together” to create a more
toxic effect?