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E-M:/ Statement from the Pediatricians Committee on Environmental Health

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Enviro-Mich message from "Alex J. Sagady & Associates" <ajs@sagady.com>
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From: Deborah  Shprentz <dshprentz@hers.com>
Subject: AAP Policy Statement
Date: Wed, 01 Dec 2004 22:43:43 -0500
Message-ID: <1206110641-1463792638-1101959125@boing.topica.com>
Errors-To: <X+RfbwEJAWZmX6AABwAAAAAAX14yxw@boing.topica.com>
Reply-To: dshprentz@hers.com
X-Topica-Id: <1101959123.inmta010.4575.1480799>



The American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Environmental Health has published an important new policy statement on "Ambient Air Pollution: Health Hazards to Children" which finds that there are adverse health effects at levels near or below the current standards for ozone, particulate matter, and nitrogen dioxide, and concludes that the 1997 NAAQS may not adequately protect children.

Specifically, the Policy Statement finds that the current annual and 24-hour NAAQS for PM2.5 and PM10 should be lowered to protect public health, based on recent scientific studies.

In addition, the policy statement cites several studies demonstrating that ozone may be toxic at concentrations lower than the current 8-hour NAAQS, and suggests that the ozone standards may need to be revised if these studies are confirmed.

The Statement makes further specific recommendations on need to set air quality standards with a margin of safety to protect against the potential effects of air pollution on the fetus, infant, and child.

Additional recommendations address the need for specific control strategies to reduce children's exposure to criteria air pollutants and toxic air pollutants, specifically mercury and diesel.

The policy statement is available at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/114/6/1699

In an accompanying article, Dr. Michael W. Shannon, the chair of the AAP Committee on Environmental Health states: "The revised standards [1997 NAAQS for ozone and PM] will protect children better than the previous standards but they still won't be adequate."

This is strong stuff from the most credible of environmental health authorities -- the pediatricians.

--
Deborah Shprentz
Consultant to the American Lung Association

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