Re: Deaths from fossil fuel burning air pollution

["Otto G. Raabe" <ograabe@ucdavis.edu>]

At 09:25 AM 11/20/00 -0600, Prof. Cohen wrote:
>
>A substantial amount of science has gone into
>settling on fine particulate as the best indicator of air pollution health
>effects. Most other pollutants correlate closely with it, so it serves as
>a surrogate.
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November 20, 2000
Davis, CA

I agree with Prof. Cohen's statement above. However, my point is that it is
not the particulate matter, per se, that is responsible for the observed
effects. The last EPA criteria document on particulate matter shows that it
takes really high concentrations of low-toxicity particulate matter to
yield any significant effects on laboratory animal studies involving
chronic exposures. However, the EPA and the particulate matter
epidemiologist apparently believe that the particulate matter by itself,
especially of submicronic particles, is responsible for increased mortality
and morbidity even at low concentrations and for acute exposures with a
linear no-threshold (LNT) dose-response.

Otto
**********************************************
Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
Institute of Toxicology & Environmental Health
(Street Address: Bldg. 3792, Old Davis Road) 
University of California, Davis, CA 95616
E-Mail: ograabe@ucdavis.edu
Phone: (530) 752-7754   FAX: (530) 758-6140
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