Concurrent heat waves, air pollution exacerbate negative health effects of each

The combination of prolonged hot spells with poor air quality greatly compounds the negative effects of each and can pose a major risk to human health, according to new research from the University of California, Irvine.

A heat wave and pollution episode struck the
 eastern portion of the United States and Canada
 in late June of 2005. Observations show
 the concurrence of high surface ozone, an
abundance of fine particulate matter
and scorching temperatures.

"The weather factors that drive heat waves also contribute to intensified surface ozone and air pollution episodes," said UCI professor of Earth system science Michael J. Prather, co-author of the study, published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "These extreme, multiday events tend to cluster and overlap, worsening the health impacts beyond the sum of their individual effects.”

Heat waves cause widespread discomfort and can be deadly for vulnerable individuals, while surface ozone and air pollution are linked to premature death from heart disease, stroke and lung ailments.

Read the ScienceDaily story- “Concurrent heat waves, air pollution exacerbate negative health effects of each.”