To : Cc: Bcc: Subject: Re: Meng - Response to PM Data Request

From: "Meng, Ying-Ying" <yymeng@ucla.edu> To: Beth Hassett-Sipple/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA Cc: Lindsay Stanek/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA, Rebecca Yang/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA, Pradeep

Rajan/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA Date: 11/16/2009 03:48 PM Subject: RE: Request for PM AQ data

Dear Dr. Hassett-Sipple:

I am writing to respond to your request for information on our published paper: Meng, Y. Y., M. Wilhelm, et al. (2007). "Traffic and outdoor air pollution levels near residences and poorly controlled asthma in adults." (Ann Allergy
Asthma Immunol 98(5): 455-63)

To provide some background information, our study subjects were individuals from whom health data were collected between Novemb er 2000 and September 2001 as part of the 2001 California Health interview Survey (CHIS, a secondary data source), who: (1) resided in Los Angeles or San Die go County during this same time period and (2) reported ever having been diagn osed with asthma by a physician. To estimate annual exposures to criteria air pollutants during the 12 months preceding the date of interview , we obtained air-monitoring data collected between 1999 and 2001 at fixed-site stati ons in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties. In Los Angeles County, 10 stations measured PM2.5 and in San Diego County, 5 stations measured PM2.5. Subjects were assigned annual average

concentrations of PM2.5 based on measurements from the nearest station that measured each specific pollutant within 5 miles of the reported residential
cross-street intersection. Subjects residing outside of a 5-mile range were excluded from the criteria pollutant analyses. Ann ual average concentrations were calculated for the one- year period prior to the interview date . These averages were based on 24-hour average measurements taken every 6 and 3 da ys
for PM2.5.

I understand that our study fits Category C, which is a study designed to
evaluate morbidity effects associated with long-term PM2.5 ambient concentrations. The requested information is as fol lows:

o mean of the ambient PM2.5 mean concentrations a cross cities reported in the study for the time period evaluated in the study: 19.14 ug/m3

o range (high-to-low) of the city-specific means a cross all cities or
locations: 24.68-10.52 ug/m3

o where applicable, the above air quality informat ion differentiated by: specific individual years ( N / A ), if multiple years were evaluated season, as defined in the study ( N / A ), region, as defined in the study (e.g.,east-west) see the above

o if your study considered air quality data from m ultiple monitors in a city,
include the above information for the highest reporting monitor within each city (This question may not be applicable to our study s ince we used the county
data and actual annual average was different for each study subject, which was
calculated for the one year period prior to the interview date )

However, the highest annual PM2.5 concentration in Los Angeles County was from Pico

Rivera monitor, which had a reading of 23.7 ug/m3 for year 2000; while the highest
annual PM2.5 concentration in San Diego County was from San Diego (12th ave) monitor, which had a reading of 15.9 ug/m3 for year 2000.

Please feel free to contact me if you need further information or any
clarifications. Thanks.

Ying-Ying

Ying-Ying Meng. Dr.PH Director, Chronic Disease Program Senior Research Scientist UCLA Center for Health Policy Research 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1550, Los Angeles, CA 9 0024 Tel: 310-794-2931 Fax: 310-794-2686

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