MEDICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECTIONS
All welcome to attend
12 Errol Street, London, EC1Y 8LX
For instructions on getting to Errol Street see:
http://www.rss.org.uk/main.asp?page=1759
Tuesday 18th March 2008, 2pm, at the RSS London (tea/coffee available from
1.30pm)
Air Pollution and Health: Impact Assessment, Policy and Intervention
Summary of Meeting
The impact upon people's health due to air pollution can be fatal as well
as very unpleasant. Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) involve predicting
future
changes in population health following intervention. This meeting will
address some of the methodological issues when using life- table methodology
to quantify HIAs following interventions to reduce air pollution. The
development of policy to reduce air pollution based on this approach will
be discussed. Some of the challenges involved when measuring outdoor
pollution levels following intervention will be considered, with particular
reference to the introduction of the Congestion Charging Scheme in London
in 2003.
Dr. Brian G Miller
Principal Epidemiologist, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Research
Avenue North, Riccarton, EDINBURGH EH14 4AP
Quantifying mortality effects in Health Impact Assessments - Attributable
deaths and/or life years
Abstract
Health Impact Assessment involves predicting future changes in population
health following interventions, e.g. the reduction of air pollution. For
mortality outcomes, this is best done using life-table methodology. We have
implemented a scheme for quantified HIAs that allows impacts to differ
across both age and (future) calendar time; outputs, expressed either as
numbers of deaths or life-years experienced, can also be summarised in any
combinations of these two time axes. We've applied our method to a variety
of HIA topics. We'll show some results and demonstrate why we prefer
life-years as an output, and how some other commonly-used simplifications
may mislead.
Dr Heather Walton
Principal Toxicologist, Air Pollution Unit, Chemical Hazards and
PoisonsDivision, Health Protection Agency, Chilton, Near Didcot, Oxon OX11
0RQ
Health Impact Assessments Based on Life-Table Methods - Use in Policy
Development.
Abstract
This presentation will highlight some key issues that arise in applying
life-table methods in policy development. It will discuss how, in certain
defined circumstances, scaling of a standard life-table result can be a
convenient approach provided the assumptions and approximations involved are
understood. Assumptions regarding lags between exposure and effect, the
size of the hazard rate reductions and the effect of different air pollution
particle types will be discussed. It will also explain which uncertainties
have the largest influence on the results and the research needs that arise
from this. These points will be illustrated with reference to the most
recent assessment of the health benefits of policy measures under
consideration for the review of the UK Air Quality Strategy.
Dr Richard Atkinson
Department of Community Health Sciences, St. George's, University of
London SW17 ORE
Evaluating the impact of the Congestion Charging Scheme on pollution
levels in London
Abstract
On 17th February 2003, a congestion charging scheme (CCS), operating
Monday to Fridays, 7am to 6pm, was introduced in central London resulting
in an 18% reduction in traffic volumes and a 30% reduction in congestion in
the first year. Outdoor pollution levels in London are dependent upon a
range of factors. These include local, regional and trans-boundary sources;
weather conditions affecting the build up and dispersion of pollution and
also patterns in human behaviour. There are also both short and long term
trends in pollution operating in London and across the south east. In this
talk I will describe and discuss the various analytical challenges involved
in assessing the effect of this traffic management scheme upon measured
outdoor pollution levels.
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