Many studies have reported the associations between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and increased risk of death. But, to our knowledge, none of them have used causal modeling approach or controlled for long-term temperature exposure. Few have used a general population sample. The researchers estimated the causal effects of long-term PM2.5 effect on mortality and tested the effect modifications by seasonal temperatures, census-tract-level socio-economic variables, and county-level health conditions.

Ambient air pollution may have neurotoxic effects in children. Data examining associations between traffic-related air pollution and attention domains remain sparse. The researchers examined associations between black carbon (BC), a marker of traffic particles, and attention measures ascertained at age 7-14 years among 174 children in a Boston-based birth cohort.