The Particulate Air Pollution Controversy

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

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2. Harmful Effects of Particulate Air Pollution

   Pages 1-13

3. Historical Overview

   Pages 15-27

4. Interpreting the PM Epidemiology

   Pages 29-37

5. The Nature of Urban Particulate Matter

   Pages 39-53

6. The Fates of Inhaled Particles

   Pages 55-68

7. The Toxicology of Particulate Material

   Pages 69-80

8. Research Needs

   Pages 81-94

9. What’s at Stake?

   Pages 95-101

10. Challenges to Dogma

    Pages 103-114

11. Conclusions and Recommendations

    Pages 115-124

12. Back Matter

    Pages 125-128

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Small invisible particles in the urban air, especially those produced by human activities, have recently stimulated intense scrutiny, debate, regulation, and legal proceedings. The stakes are high, both with respect to health impacts and economic costs, and the methods used previously to resolve similar issues are no longer adequate. Everyone on earth inhales thousands to millions of particles in each breath, so if urban particulate air pollution—particulate matter (PM)—is significantly hazardous, the negative impact on health could be staggering. Yet the activities that generate PM, such as farming, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and generating electricity, are themselves essential to human health and welfare. Scientists, regulators, legislators, activists, judges, lawyers, journalists, and representatives of the business community are actively involved in addressing the question of what should be done. This complex issue presents opportunities for critically assessing the relevant knowledge and for adopting more rigorous approaches to this and similar problems. What is the PM controversy, and why is it a good case study for how science and public policy might better interface? The PM controversy is the sum of the frequently heated debates related to the potential health risks from urban PM.

• Air pollution
• epidemiology
• human health
• pollution
• toxicity
• toxicology
• air pollution and air quality
• ecotoxicology

"He [Phalen] focuses on the science of the topic...his delivery is aimed at nonspecialists, a difficult combination he achieves quite well. ...Phalen provides extensive references to the scientific literature for those seeking technical detail. Highly recommended."
(Choice, 41:1 (2003)

• University of California, Irvine

  Robert F. Phalen

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