I don't know of a single US federal court decision in an environmental justice or other civil rights case where an epidemiologist testified that a given environmental insult X caused a given adverse impact Y, and where that testimony was probative. I'd love to know of any.
Marc Brenman
mbrenman001@comcast.net

From: "Rajiv Bhatia" <Rajiv.Bhatia@sfdph.org>
To: "TRB Health and Transportation" <h+t--friends@chrispy.net>
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2013 12:16:52 PM
Subject: Re: [H+T--Friends] LA Times: "It's official: Traffic        pollution        can        cause asthma in children"

There is a good deal written about the use of epidemiology to establish
causality. Many believe that epidemiology provide strong and sometime
unequivocal evidence of the existance of the cause of a disease, even in
circumstances where the exact mechanistic agents and pathways are still
murky. Smoking was established as a cause of lung cancer on the basis of
epidemiology.

There are many causes of asthma but many studies find that traffic
pollution, particularly NO2, aggrevates asthma. Several studies like the
one cited by Eloisa also found that the prevelence of asthma is higher with
higher proximity to traffic and traffic air pollution. Rob McConnell at
USC has done some of the best work in the field. The Health Effects
Institute report on traffic proximity provides one thorough recent review.

One open question is whether the causative exposure for traffic proximity
studies is an agent or agent(s) in vehicle exhaust (e.g. NOx, Diesel) or
something else related to the proximity of more traffic. Other exposures
associated with traffic (Noise, road dust, greater time indoors). Most
studies of this control for demographic and economic variables but not for
these related exposures. I plan to look at the recent study more closely.

Rajiv

Rajiv Bhatia, MD | Director | Environmental Health | SFDPH | 4152523931

From: mbrenman001@comcast.net
To: TRB Health and Transportation <h+t--friends@chrispy.net>
Date: 03/22/2013 11:46 PM
Subject: Re: [H+T--Friends] LA Times: "It's official: Traffic pollution
   can cause asthma in children"
Sent by: h+t--friends-bounces@chrispy.net

Whenever I've looked at asthma and causes, I've found studies that
attributed it to a wide multitude of causes. "Attributed to" is not the
same as "causality." I almost never find an epidemiologist who is willing
to say that insult A causes disease B.
Marc Brenman
mbrenman001@comcast.net

From: "Lawrence Frank" <lawrence.frank@ubc.ca>
To: "TRB Health and Transportation" <h+t--friends@chrispy.net>
Cc: h+t--friends@chrispy.net
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 1:10:54 PM
Subject: Re: [H+T--Friends] LA Times: "It's official: Traffic pollution
can cause asthma in children"

Hi Eloisa - Thanks for sending this. Great to see more evidence from other
places on this topic. However, I think the California study referred to by
the reporter was a pretty solid piece of research - was not involved with
it but recall it was not anecdotal at all.

As many know - Walkability is often highly correlated with increased
concentrations of small particulates - a troublesome but solvable twist to
the otherwise health benefits of more compact development.

Larry

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 22, 2013, at 11:45 AM, "Eloisa Raynault" <eloisa.raynault@apha.org>
wrote:

   This article in the LA Times may be of interest to you:
   http://goo.gl/QZwvo

   Researchers in Europe have confirmed scientifically what parents in
   traffic-congested Southern California have known anecdotally for
   years: Poor air quality associated with busy roads can cause asthma
   in children.

   The study, which examined children’s health in 10 cities, concluded
   that 14% of chronic childhood asthma cases could be attributed to
   near-road traffic pollution. It is the first time that medical
   researchers have made such a direct link — previous studies stopped
   at saying that traffic pollution is known to trigger asthma, not
   cause it.

   Eloisa Raynault | American Public Health Association | 800 I Street
   NW, Washington DC 20001 | Transportation, Health and Equity Program
   Manager | o: 202-777-2487 | http://apha.org/transportation

   Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

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