Air Quality and Human Health in New England:

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Air Quality and Human Health in New England The
NOAA Funded AIRMAP and INHALE Projects
Cameron Wake Institute for the Study of Earth,
Oceans and Space University of New Hampshire
Closing the Information Gap Better data for a
Healthier Environment Concord April 1, 2004
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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.
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AIRMAPMapping New Englands Changing Climate and
Air Quality
AIRMAP Atmospheric Investigation, Regional Modeli
ng, Analysis, and Prediction
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Atmospheric Measurements at AIRMAP Monitoring
Sites
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http//airmap.unh.edu
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Summer 2004 ICARTT Campaign (International
Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport
and Transformations)
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Summer 2004 ICARTT Campaign (International
Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport
and Transformations)
The three focus areas for this research
are regional air quality intercontinental
transport radiation balance. Data collection
will occur primarily in JulyAugust 2004 using
ground-based, ship, aircraft, balloon and
satellite observing platforms.
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Summer 2004 ICARTT Campaign (International
Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport
and Transformations)
detailed 3D, multi-parameter investigation of
air quality in NE NA multiple measurement
platforms to include 14 aircraft (NOAA P-3,
NASA DC-8 P3, DOE, UMD, MSC, CNRS,
ITOP) balloons satellites (Aura, Terra,
EnviSat) Ship (NOAA Ronald Brown) Surface
Stations -EPA/State monitoring programs
(O3-68 SO2-26, PM10-33, PM2.5-44 CO-16
NO2-17) -NOAA Profiler and LIDAR
Networks -AIRMAP Harvard Forest pilot study
2002 New England Air Quality Study
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INHALE(Integrated Human Health and Air Quality
Assessment)

• Goal of INHALE project is to improve public
  health by
• Engaging a wide range of stakeholders in a
  collaborative effort to better define the link
  between broad measures of pulmonary health and
  air pollution
• Using the results to create informed public
  policy and guide the product development of the
  NOAA air quality forecasting effort
• Determining the health care costs associated
  with air pollution events

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Problem Statement
Health Tracking Issues -access -coarse
spatial and temporal resolution -what to
track -tip of iceberg
Air Quality Issues -indoor vs outdoor -year
round meas. -multi-parameter -discontinuos
(e.g. toxics)
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INHALE - Key Stakeholders
UNH Departments and Institutes AIRMAP
(Atmospheric Investigation, Regional Modeling,
Analysis and Prediction) Institute for the Study
of Earth, Oceans and Space Office of
Sustainability Programs Dept of Health
Management and Policy Whittemore School of
Business and Economics New Hampshire Institute
of Health Policy Cooperative Extension Stakeholde
rs Lung Association (Maine, NB) International
Center for Air Quality and Health New Hampshire
Department of Environmental Services New
Hampshire Health and Human Services Vermont
Health and Human Services Manchester Health
Department Maine Bureau of Health University
of Southern Maine/NASA Environmental Human
Health Institute University of Connecticut
Health Center Northeast States for Coordinated
Air Use Management (NESCAUM) Asthma Regional
Council (ARC) of New England EPA Region
1 Center for Disease Control Environmental
Health Tracking Grants
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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.
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INHALE - Summer 2004

• Pulmonary Function Monitoring in New England
• Sentinel Physician Programs
• Summer University Sport Camps
• Partner Hospitals and Companies
• Scientists at research facilities
• Children at Summer Camps
• Individuals at Retirement Communities

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INHALE - Summer 2004 Pulmonary Function Monitoring
Spirometry Twice daily
Respiratory Symptoms Once daily
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INHALE - Summer 2004
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Summer 2004 New England Health Tracking
CampaignProposed Pulmonary Function Testing
Sites
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Air Pollution, Weather and Respiratory Emergency
Room Visits in Portland, ME and Manchester, NH
an Ecological Time Series Study
Portland
Manchester
Demographic data from US Census
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Raw time-seriesManchester, New Hampshire
All Respiratory
MinimumTemperature
Relative Humidity
AverageSO2
1998-2000
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Model compares filtered time-seriesManchester,
New Hampshire
All Respiratory
MinimumTemperature
Relative Humidity
AverageSO2
1998-2000
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Model Evaluation
All Respiratory
Asthma
Portland
R2 0.45
R2 0.78
ER Visits
Manchester
R2 0.66
R2 0.31
Modeled ER Visits
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Relative risk of SO2 1 Day Average increased
Interquartile Range
Effects range from 5-10 increases in
Portland Unclear in Manchester
Portland 6.2ppb
Relative Risk
Manchester 5.5 ppb
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Relative risk of O3 Maximum 8-hour Average
increased Interquartile Range
5 increase in Portland Asthma Visits Unclear
in Manchester
Portland 15 ppb
Relative Risk
Manchester 18ppb