SHORT NOTE OF MEETING 22nd JUNE 2007

Matters arising

1. The web tables from the Gauderman et al (2007) paper on lung development in children and proximity to traffic had now been examined. Specific Members who had particular comments would provide a paragraph describing their comments to the Secretariat. These would be incorporated, along with the conclusions from the last meeting, into a letter to the Department of Health.

2. The Chairman had written to the authors of the paper by Miller et al (2007) asking for their view on whether the higher coefficients in the study could be due to subjects who were not being treated for heart disease being more sensitive to air pollution. The authors had not yet looked at this point in detail. It was considered important to put the results of this cohort study in the context of other cohort studies, particularly when greater numbers of cohort studies become available over time.

3. The Secretariat would be discussing the health impact calculations from modelled worst-case scenarios from the Buncefield fire with HPA, London. The results would be circulated to the Committee in due course.

4. The COMEAP report on 'Long-term exposure to air pollution - Effect on Mortality' had gone to the Chairman for clearance. {This draft report is now available on the website for comment.}

5. The morbidity working group had met on 29th May and would be providing draft chapters for the report on quantification of effects of air pollution on morbidity to the Secretariat by 1st October.

DEFRA Air Pollution Information Service - Information Bulletins and PM10 Measurements

6. The proposal to scale the breakpoints in the numerical index in the banding system to match new 'reference method equivalent' PM10 measurements was accepted as an interim approach. Results from the new 'reference method equivalent' equipment could then be compared directly with the scaled index. An equation to convert results from the old equipment so that these results could be compared with the new scaled index on an approximate basis was also agreed. Explanatory text in language accessible to the public would be provided.

Draft COMEAP Statement on the Effect of Air Pollution on Children's Health

7. The draft statement uses the WHO report on air pollution and children's health as a starting point drawing out any gaps in this report and pointing out any further work that needs to be done.

8. Several points of interest were discussed. These will be incorporated into a near final version to be taken to the next meeting.

Draft COMEAP Statement on Asthma and Exposure to Chlorine and Associated Reaction Products at Swimming Pools (2)

9. Minor comments on the draft statement were made. These will be incorporated and the final statement placed on the COMEAP website and sent to the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group.

Date of next meeting

10. The next meeting is due to be held on 12th October 2007.

Secretariat
July 2007

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