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Accuracy of quantification of risk using a single-pollutant Air Quality Index

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 27, pages 24–32 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Health risks associated with short-term exposure to ambient air pollution are communicated to the public by the US EPA through the Air Quality Index (AQI), but it remains unclear whether the current regulatory-based, single-pollutant AQI fully represents the actual risks of air pollution-related illness. The objective of this study is to quantify cardiovascular hospital admissions attributable to PM2.5 at each AQI category. Based on National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the highest AQI value among criteria pollutants (driver pollutant) is reported daily. We investigated excess cardiovascular hospital admissions attributable to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure from 2000 to 2010 in Bronx, Erie, Queens, and Suffolk counties of New York. Daily total, unscheduled cardiovascular hospital admissions (principal diagnosis) for individuals aged 20–99 years, concentration–response functions for PM2.5, and estimated quarterly effective daily concentrations were used to calculate excess cardiovascular hospital admissions when PM2.5 was reported as the driver pollutant and when PM2.5 was not reported as the driver pollutant at each AQI category. A higher proportion of excess hospital admissions attributable to PM2.5 occurred when PM2.5 was the driver pollutant (i.e., ~70% in Bronx County). The majority of excess hospital admissions (i.e., >90% in Bronx County) occurred when the AQI was <100 (“good” or “moderate” level of health concern) regardless of whether PM2.5 was the driver pollutant. During the warm season (April–September), greater excess admissions in Suffolk County occurred when PM2.5 was not the AQI driver pollutant. These results indicate that a single-pollutant index may inadequately communicate the adverse health risks associated with air pollution.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the assistance of Melissa Payne. Funding for this study was provided in part by: (1) Air and Waste Management Association Mid-Atlantic States Section Air Pollution Education and Research Grant (APERG); and (2) NIH Training Grant, Grant Number T32 ES007324.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University, Tuxedo Park, New York, USA

    Lars Perlmutt & Kevin Cromar

  2. Population Studies Division, Health Canada, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    David Stieb

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  1. Lars Perlmutt
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Correspondence to Lars Perlmutt.

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Perlmutt, L., Stieb, D. & Cromar, K. Accuracy of quantification of risk using a single-pollutant Air Quality Index. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 27, 24–32 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2015.43

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