A body of evidence for bodily harm from air pollution
by Michael A. Livermore in Grist

This week, the Washington Times ran an op-ed by Steve Milloy in which he asks the EPA to "show him the bodies" of victims of polluted air. He questions whether the agency has "tangible evidence" that emissions from power plants are "causing actual harm to real people."

It is tempting to go line by line through the piece debunking each point. But Milloy makes a specific request to see "bodies," and sadly, that is easy enough to show him. 

The science showing the harmful effects of particulate matter, or soot, is very strong. The microscopic bits spewed out of smokestacks around the nation are small enough that they can travel deep into human lungs and can even slip directly into the bloodstream. 

The result: higher incidences of asthma, bronchitis, impaired lung development in children, and heart disease.

Questioning these health concerns means countering a substantial body of empirical health studies, conducted both by federal agencies and by independent researchers. These studies, which have been subjected to the scrutiny of the peer review process, have come to a set of well-supported conclusions about the relationship between particulate matter and mortality -- the focus of Milloy's post. 

This research, which has included efforts by the National Research Council and has been reviewed by a range of independent bodies, has led the American Lung Association to make reduction of particulate matter pollution a core priority.

To read the entire article go to:
http://www.grist.org/clean-air/2011-07-22-a-body-of-evidence-for-bodily-harm-from-air-pollution