Air Pollution-The Relationship between Health Effects and Control Philosophy

The evidence concerning the health effects of air pollution is briefly reviewed. In addition, new data from the Cornell Family Illness Study are used to draw a picture of the complex interactions that exist between man and his environment. Certain conclusions are drawn: 1) air pollution has definite but varying adverse effects upon health; 2) no single pollutant appears solely responsible for the effects; 3) the effects seem to come from the totality of the atmospheric environment with weather and season playing their part; 4) the effects are influenced by variations in individual habits and disease as well as by certain social determinants. A control philosophy based upon process control is described suggesting the control of emissions to the greatest extent feasible, employing the maximum technological capability. A parallel is drawn between the public health advances necessary in the past to allow the growth of the cities and the need for pollution control to allow the continued growth of technology.