Author Description

This document presents a detailed scientific examination of particulate matter air pollution and its relationship to increases in health effects & environmental effects. It presents information, based on review of the literature, on the following: physical & chemical characteristics of particulate matter (PM), focussing on particles ten microns or less in diameter; methods of sampling, monitoring, & measurement of PM; sources of the fine & coarse fractions of PM, secondary particles, and estimated PM emissions in Canada; ambient PM levels from available monitoring data and relationships among various PM constituents; methods of assessing human exposure to PM; aesthetic effects of PM (visibility); effects of PM on vegetation & materials; toxicology of PM, including host defences, biochemical responses, particle-induced diseases, and animal-to-human extrapolation; clinical & epidemiological studies of human health effects, including acute, long-term, & chronic effects; characterization of the risk of PM from the health effects evidence, including risks to specific populations such as the elderly; and the identification of reference levels for PM.