Toward an Improved Air Pollution Warning System in Quebec

Pierre Masselot, Fateh Chebana, Éric Lavigne, Céline Campagna, Pierre Gosselin and Taha B.M.J. Ouarda
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Pierre Masselot: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau-Terre-Environnement, 490, rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
Fateh Chebana: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau-Terre-Environnement, 490, rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
Éric Lavigne: School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON K1G 5Z3, Canada
Céline Campagna: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau-Terre-Environnement, 490, rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
Pierre Gosselin: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau-Terre-Environnement, 490, rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
Taha B.M.J. Ouarda: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau-Terre-Environnement, 490, rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-14

Abstract: The nature of pollutants involved in smog episodes can vary significantly in various cities and contexts and will impact local populations differently due to actual exposure and pre-existing sensitivities for cardiovascular or respiratory diseases. While regulated standards and guidance remain important, it is relevant for cities to have local warning systems related to air pollution. The present paper proposes indicators and thresholds for an air pollution warning system in the metropolitan areas of Montreal and Quebec City (Canada). It takes into account past and current local health impacts to launch its public health warnings for short-term episodes. This warning system considers fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) as well as the combined oxidant capacity of ozone and nitrogen dioxide (O x ) as environmental exposures. The methodology used to determine indicators and thresholds consists in identifying extreme excess mortality episodes in the data and then choosing the indicators and thresholds to optimize the detection of these episodes. The thresholds found for the summer were 31 μg/m 3 for PM 2.5 and 43 ppb for O x in Montreal, and 32 μg/m 3 and 23 ppb in Quebec City. In winter, thresholds found were 25 μg/m 3 and 26 ppb in Montreal, and 33 μg/m 3 and 21 ppb in Quebec City. These results are in line with different guidelines existing concerning air quality, but more adapted to the cities examined. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is conducted which suggests that O x is more determinant than PM 2.5 in detecting excess mortality episodes.

Keywords: warning system; air pollution; respiratory diseases; cardiovascular diseases; mortality; threshold (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:12:p:2095-:d:239469

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