Daily Summer Temperatures and Hospitalization for Acute Cardiovascular Events: Impact of Outdoor PM 2.5 Oxidative Potential on Observed Associations Across Canada.

Background: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the health impacts of both outdoor fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.5 ) and thermal stress. However, it is not clear how the oxidative potential of PM 2.

Does early life exposure to exogenous sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase the risk of respiratory and allergic diseases in children? A longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause oxidative stress damaging cells and tissues, leading to adverse health effects in the respiratory tract. Yet, few human epidemiological studies have quantified the adverse effect of early life exposure to ROS on child health. Thus, this study aimed to examine the association of levels of ROS exposure at birth and the subsequent risk of developing common respiratory and allergic diseases in children.

Long-term Exposure to Oxidant Gases and Mortality: Effect Modification by PM 2.5 Transition Metals and Oxidative Potential.

Background: Populations are simultaneously exposed to outdoor concentrations of oxidant gases (i.e., O 3 and NO 2 ) and fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.

Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and individual emergency department visits for COVID-19: a case-crossover study in Canada.

Background: Ambient air pollution is thought to contribute to increased risk of COVID-19, but the evidence is controversial.

Objective: To evaluate the associations between short-term variations in outdoor concentrations of ambient air pollution and COVID-19 emergency department (ED) visits.

Methods: We conducted a case-crossover study of 78 255 COVID-19 ED visits in Alberta and Ontario, Canada between 1 March 2020 and 31 March 2021.

Association of Sulfur, Transition Metals, and the Oxidative Potential of Outdoor with Acute Cardiovascular Events: A Case-Crossover Study of Canadian Adults.

Background: We do not currently understand how spatiotemporal variations in the composition of fine particulate air pollution [fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ()] affects population health risks. However, recent evidence suggests that joint concentrations of transition metals and sulfate may influence the oxidative potential (OP) of and associated health impacts.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to evaluate how of transition metals/OP and sulfur content in outdoor influence associations with acute cardiovascular events.

Sex-difference in air pollution-related acute circulatory and respiratory mortality and hospitalization.

Background: Numerous studies have estimated adverse effects of short-term exposure to ambient air pollution on public health. Few have focused on sex-differences, and results have been inconsistent. The purpose of this study was three-fold: to identify sex-differences in air pollution-related health outcomes; to examine sex-differences by cause and season; and to examine time trends in sex-differences.

Does exposure to air pollution increase the risk of acute care in young children with asthma? An Ontario, Canada study.

Owing to their greater outdoor activity and ongoing lung development, children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) However, the effects of PM components are poorly understood. This study aimed to use a longitudinal birth cohort of children with physician-diagnosed incident asthma to investigate the effect of PM components at birth on morbidity measured by health services utilization. Of 1277 Toronto Child Health Evaluation Questionnaire (T-CHEQ) participants, the study population included 362 children diagnosed with asthma who were followed for a mean of 13 years from birth until March 31, 2016, or loss-to-follow-up.

Temporal and spatial effect of air pollution on hospital admissions for myocardial infarction: a case-crossover study.

Background: In studies showing associations between ambient air pollution and myocardial infarction (MI), data have been lacking on the inherent spatial variability of air pollution. The aim of this study was to determine whether the long-term spatial distribution of air pollution influences short-term temporal associations between air pollution and admission to hospital for MI.

Methods: We identified adults living in Calgary who were admitted to hospital for an MI between 2004 and 2012.

Evaluating an Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) amendment for communities impacted by residential woodsmoke in British Columbia, Canada.

Smoke from burning biomass is an important source of fine particulate matter (PM), but the health risks may not be fully captured by the Canadian Air Quality Health Index (AQHI). In May 2018, the province of British Columbia launched an evidence-based amendment (AQHI-Plus) to improve AQHI performance for wildfire smoke, but the AQHI-Plus was not developed or tested on data from the residential woodsmoke season. This study assesses how the AQHI and AQHI-Plus are associated with acute health outcomes during the cooler seasons of 2010-2017 in British Columbia, Canada.

Early life exposure to air pollution and incidence of childhood asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema.

Rationale: There is growing evidence that air pollution may contribute to the development of childhood asthma and other allergic diseases. In this follow-up of the Toronto Child Health Evaluation Questionnaire (T-CHEQ) study, we examined associations between early life exposures to air pollution and incidence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema from birth through adolescence.

Methods: 1286 T-CHEQ participants were followed from birth until outcome (March 31, 2016) or loss to follow-up, with a mean of 17 years of follow-up.

Interdisciplinary-driven hypotheses on spatial associations of mixtures of industrial air pollutants with adverse birth outcomes.

Background: Adverse birth outcomes (ABO) such as prematurity and small for gestational age confer a high risk of mortality and morbidity. ABO have been linked to air pollution; however, relationships with mixtures of industrial emissions are poorly understood. The exploration of relationships between ABO and mixtures is complex when hundreds of chemicals are analyzed simultaneously, requiring the use of novel approaches.

Assessment of the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) and four alternate AQHI-Plus amendments for wildfire seasons in British Columbia.

Objective: Wildfire smoke is an important source of air pollution associated with a range of cardiopulmonary health conditions. The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is the most widely used tool in Canada to communicate with the public about air pollution, but it may not adequately reflect health risks from wildfire smoke. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of the AQHI and four alternate AQHI-Plus amendments to predict adverse population health effects from wildfire smoke.

The Oakville Oil Refinery Closure and Its Influence on Local Hospitalizations: A Natural Experiment on Sulfur Dioxide.

: An oil refinery in Oakville, Canada, closed over 2004⁻2005, providing an opportunity for a natural experiment to examine the effects on oil refinery-related air pollution and residents' health. : Environmental and health data were collected for the 16 years around the refinery closure. Toronto (2.

Air Health Trend Indicator: Association between Short-Term Exposure to Ground Ozone and Circulatory Hospitalizations in Canada for 17 Years, 1996⁻2012.

The Air Health Trend Indicator is designed to estimate the public health risk related to short-term exposure to air pollution and to detect trends in the annual health risks. Daily ozone, circulatory hospitalizations and weather data for 24 cities (about 54% of Canadians) for 17 years (1996⁻2012) were used. This study examined three circulatory causes: ischemic heart disease (IHD, 40% of cases), other heart disease (OHD, 31%) and cerebrovascular disease (CEV, 14%).

Biomass Burning as a Source of Ambient Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Biomass burning is an important source of ambient fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) in many regions of the world.

Methods: We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study of ambient PM2.

The association between ambient air quality and cardiac rate and rhythm in ambulatory subjects.

Background: Acute increases in ambient air pollution have been associated with increased hospitalization for cardiac diseases and stroke. Triggering of cardiac arrhythmia by changes in air quality could theoretically predispose individuals to cardiac arrest or heart failure, or stroke through precipitation of atrial fibrillation. We investigated the association between air quality and cardiac rate and rhythm characteristics measured by ambulatory cardiac monitoring.

Tracking national and regional spatial-temporal mortality risk associated with NO2 concentrations in Canada: a Bayesian hierarchical two-level model.

The association between daily variations in urban air quality and mortality has been well documented using time series statistical methods. This approach assumes a constant association over time. We develop a space-time dynamic model that relaxes this assumption, thus more directly examining the hypothesis that improvements in air quality translate into improvements in public health.

Health effects of outdoor air pollution: approach to counseling patients using the Air Quality Health Index.

Objective: To inform family physicians about the health effects of air pollution and to provide an approach to counseling vulnerable patients in order to reduce exposure.

Sources Of Information: MEDLINE was searched using terms relevant to air pollution and its adverse effects. We reviewed English-language articles published from January 2008 to December 2009.

From good intentions to proven interventions: effectiveness of actions to reduce the health impacts of air pollution.

Background: Associations between air pollution and a multitude of health effects are now well established. Given ubiquitous exposure to some level of air pollution, the attributable health burden can be high, particularly for susceptible populations.

Objectives: An international multidisciplinary workshop was convened to discuss evidence of the effectiveness of actions to reduce health impacts of air pollution at both the community and individual level.

A cohort study of traffic-related air pollution and mortality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Chronic exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) may contribute to premature mortality, but few studies to date have addressed this topic.

Objectives: In this study we assessed the association between TRAP and mortality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Methods: We collected nitrogen dioxide samples over two seasons using duplicate two-sided Ogawa passive diffusion samplers at 143 locations across Toronto.

Associations between outdoor air pollution and emergency department visits for stroke in Edmonton, Canada.

Inconsistent results have been obtained from studies that have examined the relationship between air pollution and hospital visits for stroke. We undertook a time-stratified case-crossover study to evaluate associations between outdoor air pollution and emergency department visits for stroke among the elderly according to stroke type, season, and sex. Analyses are based on a total of 12,422 stroke visits among those 65 years of age and older in Edmonton, Canada between April 1, 1992 and March 31, 2002.

Associations between short-term changes in nitrogen dioxide and mortality in Canadian cities.

The association between daily variations in ambient concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and mortality was examined in 12 of Canada's largest cities, using a 19-yr time-series analysis (from 1981-1999). The authors employed parametric statistical methods that are not subject to the recently discovered convergence and error estimation problems of generalized additive models. An increase in the 3-d moving average of NO2 concentrations equivalent to the population-weighted study mean of 22.

Measuring progress in the management of ambient air quality: the case for population health.

Although progress has been made in the last few decades at reducing ambient concentrations of air pollutants, scientific evidence suggests that there remains a risk to human health from exposure to these pollutants at current levels in Canada. Much of the motivation for air pollution reduction efforts is to protect population health. This article presents a method of monitoring changes in air pollution-related health outcomes over time in conjunction with temporal changes in ambient pollution concentrations.

Perspectives on air quality policy issues in Europe and North America.

This article presents an overview of progress and future directions in air quality management in Europe, the United States, and Canada. The article describes the role of the European Commission, the Clean Air for Europe program, and the World Health Organization (WHO) in devising policies to reduce health risks due to air pollution in Europe. U.