Asthma hospitalization rates for children in Contra Costa County
on December 6, 2012
Environmental health advocates have often linked asthma rates in Richmond to nearby industrial polluters like the Chevron refinery.
But while science has established some strong correlations between air pollution and asthma episodes — such as in studies conducted by the California EPA Air Resources Board or published in scientific journals such as Current Opinion on Pulmonary Medicine — the jury’s still out on causation.
“The connection between asthma and air quality is complicated,” says Abigail Kroch, Director of Epidemiology, Planning & Evaluation at Contra Costa Health Services. “The complication is whether poor air quality exacerbates existing asthma cases or actually causes new asthma cases.”
Data provided by Contra Costa Health Services
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