Unlike the goals for occupational monitoring however, ambient air assessments have different constraints and somewhat different objectives.
In close co-operation with the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, the Laboratory of Ecotoxicology applies aquatic toxicity tests for effluent and ambient water quality assessment and environmental impact assessment for remediation activities on contaminated sediments and soilse.g.g
Samples were collected statewide for the California State Water Resources Control Board's Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program.
Environmental epidemiology could be instrumental in assessing these levels, especially since the assessment of ambient exposures involves relatively low concentrations of pollutants.
A research project (Site EffectS assessment using AMbient Excitations (SESAME), 2001 2004) was financed by the European Community to assess site effects using microtremor-based techniques for seismic risk mitigation, especially in urban areas.
Qualitative results concur with findings from a quantitative assessment of ambient SO2 exposure using diffusion tubes: the current level of SO2 degassing far exceeds international guideline values, making it a likely cause of adverse health effects for the general population.
Because of concern for heat-related mortality in vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly, practical epidemiologic methods are needed for the assessment of ambient heat exposure on individuals.
Even in Vancouver, an area with a dense ambient monitoring network, exposure assessment based on regulatory monitoring network data is more suited to characterizing temporal variability.
Several studies have used kriging in the exposure assessment of ambient air levels of radon [ 16- 18], but fewer investigations have applied this method to volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
The ambient air pollution exposure assessment relies on the accuracy of NAPS monitoring data, and historical monitor locations, especially in rural areas, may have been sited to capture local pollution problems.
