Brauer 2000 - "Evaluation of Ambient Air Pollution in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia"

Brauer, Michael; Brumm, Jochen; Ebelt, Stefanie
"Evaluation of Ambient Air Pollution in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia: Public Health Impacts, Spatial Variability, and Temporal Patterns"
Submitted to the Administrative Council of Lower Mainland Medical Health Officers
On the Web
Relevance: high

This study estimates that 0 to 600 excess deaths annually in the BC Lower Mainland each year can be attributed to anthropogenic outdoor air pollution. However, most of these deaths are for individuals age 65 and older and associated with cardiovascular disease.

This study modeled where certain air pollutants are concentrated, finding that Vancouver's air is not always dirtiest: "CO and NO2 concentrations were higher in Vancouver relative to locations in the eastern part of the region. In contrast, O3 concentrations were significantly higher in the Fraser Valley relative to Vancouver/Burnaby. PM10 did not exhibit much spatial variability, with concentrations being relatively homogeneously distributed within the region." See maps in the study.

The study also compared Vancouver's average concentrations to other cities including Seattle and Portland. For annual averages, Vancouver ranks best on PM10, CO, and ozone, while Seattle and Portland rank better on NO2.