Air pollution and human health--acute biologic effects.

Abstract

OVER the last decade responsible public-health agencies have evidenced increasing concern about the possible adverse effects of pollution of urban atmospheres on human health. On several occasions this problem has received dramatic emphasis when local meteorologic conditions have produced a stagnant air mass remaining for several days, thus causing an increase in pollution levels above those normally present, with a concurrent rise in mortality and morbidity. Examples of such incidents occurred in the Meuse Valley in Belgium in 1930, in Donora, Pennsylvania, in 1948, and in London in 1952.From a study of these disasters something of the acute effects . . .