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Review
. 2012 Sep;120(9):1238-42.
doi: 10.1289/ehp.1204939. Epub 2012 May 29.

Practical advancement of multipollutant scientific and risk assessment approaches for ambient air pollution

Douglas O Johns  1 , Lindsay Wichers Stanek, Katherine Walker, Souad Benromdhane, Bryan Hubbell, Mary Ross, Robert B Devlin, Daniel L Costa, Daniel S Greenbaum
Affiliations
Review

Practical advancement of multipollutant scientific and risk assessment approaches for ambient air pollution

Douglas O Johns et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2012 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working toward gaining a better understanding of the human health impacts of exposure to complex air pollutant mixtures and the key features that drive the toxicity of these mixtures, which can then be used for future scientific and risk assessments.

Data sources: A public workshop was held in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 22-24 February 2011, to discuss scientific issues and data gaps related to adopting multipollutant science and risk assessment approaches, with a particular focus on the criteria air pollutants. Expert panelists in the fields of epidemiology, toxicology, and atmospheric and exposure sciences led open discussions to encourage workshop participants to think broadly about available and emerging scientific evidence related to multipollutant approaches to evaluating the health effects of air pollution.

Synthesis: Although there is clearly a need for novel research and analytical approaches to better characterize the health effects of multipollutant exposures, much progress can be made by using existing scientific information and statistical methods to evaluate the effects of single pollutants in a multipollutant context. This work will have a direct impact on the development of a multipollutant science assessment and a conceptual framework for conducting multipollutant risk assessments.

Conclusions: Transitioning to a multipollutant paradigm can be aided through the adoption of a framework for multipollutant science and risk assessment that encompasses well-studied and ubiquitous air pollutants. Successfully advancing methods for conducting these assessments will require collaborative and parallel efforts between the scientific and environmental regulatory and policy communities.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conceptual scheme for multipollutant risk assessment. Abbreviations: CO, carbon monoxide; NOx, nitrogen oxides; Pb, lead; PM, particulate matter; O3, ozone; SOx, sulfur oxides.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schema showing continuous enhancement of multipollutant science.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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