To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Low Levels Of Air Pollution May Cause Increase In Deaths URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/2BFBA.htm Doctor's Guide June 6, 1997
LONDON -- June 6, 1997 -- Evidence is accumulating that air pollution below the levels of national and international standards has adverse short term health effects, says a paper in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ). Researchers from 10 European countries and the US studied the effects of increases in sulphur dioxide and black smoke on death rates in 12 cities, and found that daily mortality increased by 3% in western European cities and 0.6% (sulphur dioxide) and 0.8% (black smoke) in cities in central eastern Europe. The difference between the effects of pollution on mortality in western and eastern European cities is intriguing, say the authors, who say it may be due to differences in the health of the eastern population (for example, a smaller number of sensitive individuals), or that cities had a different pollutant toxicity or mix, possibly because of the source of the pollutants. The consistency of the results in western European cities with wide differences in climate and environmental conditions suggest that the associations may be causal, say the authors, and further reductions in pollution are needed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.