Air Pollution Health Effects Study in U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Epidemiological studies from the 1970s link air quality to human morbidity and mortality. The dataset contains results from large U.S. metropolitan areas, including pollutant sampling for particulates and criteria pollutants, human tissue samples from autopsies, and pulmonary function tests. It was compiled by SCIOPS and accessed via the National Technical Information Service.

Use Cases

• Correlate particulate matter levels with pulmonary function test results from individuals in the same area.
• Analyze associations between benzopyrene concentrations and findings from autopsied human tissue samples.
• Compare air sample data from a small town and a large city in California with corresponding pulmonary function tests of individuals who spent time in both.
• Model mortality rates using long-term air monitoring data for criteria pollutants.

Strengths

• Includes multiple data types: pollutant sampling, human tissue analysis, and pulmonary function tests.
• Compares environmental and health data across different community sizes (small town vs. large city).

Limitations

• Data is from 1977 or earlier, representing historical pollution and health standards.
• Access is restricted to hard copy printouts on request, limiting usability.
• Specific sample sizes, row counts, and column definitions are unknown.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS, via NASA Earthdata and the National Technical Information Service (NTIS).

Collection Method

Epidemiological studies involving air monitoring, tissue sampling, and pulmonary function testing.

Time Range

Studies conducted up to 1977.

Freshness

null

Geography

Large metropolitan areas in the United States, with a specific comparison between a small town and a large city in California.