A comprehensive review of European epidemiological studies on particulate matter exposure and health

Ambient levels of several relevant pollutants are more variable within Europe than in the US, and are in several areas comparably high. Selected European cohort studies, including the Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer and the European Prospective Investigation on Cancer and Nutrition study found some association between indicators of air pollution, e.g., PM₁₀ or NO₂ and lung cancer risk. However, the results were inconsistent and inadequate to address the health effects of exposure to PM_2.5. A review cover the European epidemiological studies published between 1996 and 2006; studies investigating the effect of long-term exposure on cardiovascular disease; and cancer studies that provided proxies of particulate matter exposure (distance of the residence from a major road).