Special issue of Inhalation Toxicology for air pollution and health: bridging the gap from sources-to-health outcomes. Preface.

摘要

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six principal air pollutants or "criteria pollutants" that include carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter in two size ranges [<2.5 jam (PM2.5) and <10 n,m (PM10)], ozone, and sulfur dioxide (http://www. epa.gov/air/criteria.html). While associations have been identified between these pollutants and adverse health effects, considerable uncertainty remains with regards to the methods and approaches to understanding relationships between air pollution and health effects, which components (gas and/or aerosol) and/or sources are most toxic, the mechanisms of actions of the pollutants and causal relationships, effect of confounding factors, and who are susceptible populations, especially for particulate matter since it is composed of many individual species [EPA, 2006a (ozone); EPA, 2006b (Pb); EPA, 2008a (NOx), 2008b (SOx); EPA, 2009 (PM); EPA, 2010 (CO)]. Air pollution and health research continues to reduce these uncertainties across the source-to-health effects paradigm as indicated by the National Research Council (NRC, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004) and EPA (EPA, 2006a, 2006b, 2008a, 2008b, 2009, 2010).