What they were looking for was simple: Were there more cardiac arrests on high pollution days than on lower pollution days? In the American Journal of Epidemiology, Dr. Silverman and his fellow researchers reported that for a 10ug/m3 rise in small particle air pollution, there was a four-to-10 percent increase in the number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. The current EPA standard is 35ug/m3. The effect was much greater in the summer months, said Dr. Silverman, an associate professor of emergency medicine and director of research at LIJ's Department of Emergency Medicine. The scientists also evaluated levels of ozone, nitric oxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, but these showed a much weaker relationship. Analysis of the data from the death records and the 33 EPA monitors was conducted in collaboration with Kazuhiko Ito, PhD, an assistant professor at the Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine at New York University School of Medicine and investigators from the New York City Fire Department, John Freese, MD, Brad J. Kaufman, MD, David J. Prezant, MD, and James Braun.

"Small particulate matter is dangerous to health," said Dr. Silverman. "We need to figure out ways to combat air pollution and decrease the number of high-pollution days." He added that pollution related cardiac arrests occurred during times when the levels were high but still below the current EPA safety threshold.

The researchers are now looking for a relationship between out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and traffic flow patterns. Other studies have suggested that one in three people live in areas where small particulate matter levels are considered unhealthy.

Source: North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System