Appendix J 

Data Inputs for Health Impacts Analysis 
J - 1 

This appendix provides information on how the non-cancer health benefits resulting 

from reduction of diesel PM emissions from cargo handling equipment were estimated. 

It also provides a description on how population-weighted average risk is calculated. 

The actual data spreadsheets are also provided. However, due to the large size of the 

spreadsheets, this information is available upon request to the Air Resources Board. 

The data is available on CD, it can be downloaded from our web site at 

http://www.arb.ca.gov/cargo, or a hard copy may be viewed at the California 

Environmental Protection Agency offices at 1001 I Street in Sacramento, California or 

made available upon request. Inquires should be sent to Ms. Linda Keifer at 

lkeifer@arb.ca.gov or to the following address: 

Ms. Linda Keifer 

California Air Resources Board 

P.O. Box 2815 

Sacramento, California 95812-2815 

Methodology 

• Upon the completion of the Diesel Particulate Matter Exposure Assessment 

Study for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, we interpolated diesel PM 

concentrations in each grid cell (161 x 161, or 25921 cells) for a given scenario, 

such as 2010 with regulation, based on the mass ratio and assumption that the 

spatial and temporal allocations of cargo handling equipment operation or diesel 

PM emissions are not changed. 

• The number of population in each grid cell was estimated using a Visual Basic 

program combined with ARCVIEW. The population distribution used in the study 

is based on the U.S. Census Bureau year 2000 census data. 

• Using the methodology peer-reviewed and published in the Staff Report: Public 

Hearing to Consider Amendments to the Ambient Air Quality Standards for 

Particulate Matter and Sulfates, (PM Staff Report) (ARB, 2002), we calculated 

the number of annual cases of death and other health effects associated with 

exposure to the change in PM concentrations modeled for each of the grid cells. 

The totals over the entire modeling area were then calculated. For each grid cell, 

each health effect was estimated based on concentration-response functions 

derived from published epidemiological studies relating changes in ambient 

concentrations to changes in health endpoints, the population affected, and the 

baseline incidence rates. The selection of the concentration-response functions 

was based on the latest epidemiologic literature, as described in the PM Staff 

Report and in Lloyd and Cackette (Lloyd and Cackette, 2001). 

• We estimated that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach account for 

approximately 70 percent of total statewide emissions related to cargo handling 

equipment. Hence, the statewide impact of the emissions reduced through this 
J - 2 

regulation was estimated by dividing the estimated impacts in the modeling 

domain around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by 0.7. 

• The population-weighted average risk is calculated as follows: 

∑

=

∑

=

=

n

i

i

P

n

i

i

x R

i

P

R

1

1

 

 

where Pi is the number of population (all ages) in grid cell i, Ri is the risk in grid 

cell i, and n is the number of effective grid cells within the modeling receptor 

domain. Note that if a grid cell lies on the property of the ports or the nearby 

ocean, the grid cell will be excluded for calculations of population-weighted 

average risk or impacted areas. 

REFERENCES: 

(ARB, 2002) Air Resources Board and Office of Environmental Health Hazard 

Assessment. Public Hearing to Consider Amendments to the Ambient Air Quality 

Standards for Particulate Matter and Sulfates, Staff Report. 

http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/aaqs/std-rs/pm-final/pm-final.htm; May 2002. 

(Lloyd and Cackette, 2001) Lloyd, A.C.; Cackette, T.A.; J Air Waste Management 

Assoc. Diesel Engines: Environmental Impact and Control;., 51:809-847. 

http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/seminars/lloyd/AWMA2001/JAWMADieselCriticalRevie

w.pdf; 2001.