Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Population Exposure Modelling in Canada

Creating National Air Pollution Models for Population Exposure Assessment in Canada (31 page pdf, Perry Hystad, Eleanor Setton, Alejandro Cervantes, Karla Poplawski, Steeve Deschenes, Michael Brauer, Aaron van Donkelaar, Lok Lamsal, Randall Martin, Michael Jerrett, and Paul Demers; Environ Health Perspect., Mar. 31, 2011)

Also discussed here: CAREX Canada (developing estimates of the number of Canadians exposed to known, probable and possible carcinogens in workplace and community environments)

The focus today is on a review of methods used in Canada to estimate exposure to air pollutants particularly in cities, based on observations from fixed ground station network (NAPS), space-borne satellite sensors and modelling tied together with statistical techniques such as kridging and land use modelling using GIS. The authors conclude that more can be deduced than from the conventional approach of interpolating between surface stations.



Key Quotes:

“Predicting air pollution concentrations at resolutions capable of capturing local-scale pollutant gradients over large geographical areas is becoming increasingly important for multi-city and national health studies, in population exposure assessment, and in support of policy, surveillance and regulatory initiatives”

“Fixed site monitors may not capture entire populations and measurements typically represent regional and between-city pollution differences due to monitor siting criteria, which prevent monitors from being placed in close proximity to major roads and other pollution sources”

“This research is part of Carex Canada, a national surveillance initiative estimating the number of Canadians potentially exposed to known or suspected environmental and occupational carcinogens”

“only 35 NAPS [National Air Pollution Surveillance] monitors were located within 500 meters of a major road and only seven monitors were within 500 meters of a major industrial emission source”

“Estimates of average population exposure levels in Canada are PM2.5 8.39, NO2 23.37, benzene 1.04, ethylbenzene 0.63 and 1,3-butadiene 0.09 (μg/m3)“

“Applying national models to routinely collected population location data can extend land use modeling techniques to population exposure assessment and to informing surveillance, policy and regulation”
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