FRIDAY May 23, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- The California Air
Resources Board on May 22 released a report to address the health impacts of
exposure to particulate matter.
The report based on scientific literature says the relative
risk factor is a 10% increase in premature death per 10 ug/m3 increase in PM2.5
exposure.
Based on this factor, the board staff estimated that diesel
PM is responsible for 3,900 premature deaths each year in
California.
The board estimated exposure to ambient PM2.5 can be
associated with about 14,000 to 24,000 premature deaths each year in
California.
Read the full report here.