The Science of the total environment
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Sci. Total Environ. · Feb 2006
Influence of set-up conditions of exposure indicators on the estimate of short-term associations between urban pollution and mortality.
In the past few years many studies on air pollution and health based on time series have been carried out. Yet, this approach does not assess exposure to air pollution at an individual level but it is based on ambient concentrations measured by air quality monitoring networks. Questions on the estimates of exposure to pollutants have been raised, in particular the fact that background measuring stations only have been considered in the set up of pollution indicators. ⋯ Yet, confidence intervals were more statistically significant as the contribution of proximity stations was more substantial, in particular for SO2. To conclude, the use of proximity measurements did not influence dramatically on the mean estimates of the association between air pollution and mortality indicators in Le Havre. Therefore it does not seem relevant to include the data provided by the proximity stations in the urban exposure indicators within the context of the epidemiology monitoring system.
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Methane is an active Greenhouse effect gas whose concentration will likely increase in the future. The possible destabilisation of CH4 clathrates (hydrates) due to anthropogenic climate warming, and the resulting outgasing of methane, could lead to a major increase of the global Greenhouse effect, with dramatic consequences for Humanity. For these reasons, the study of possible countermeasures should be actively considered. Here, we suggest taking advantage of the thermodynamic instability of CH4 in air, and search for ways to oxidize it.