TABLE 1.
Considerations for assessing adversity of clinical or pathological effects
| Consideration | Pertinent questions |
|---|---|
| 1. Fatality | Does air pollution exposure lead to an increase of short-term or long-term mortality? |
| 2. Persistence of effect | How persistent over time is the effect? (Generally, chronic effects such as the induction of new disease are given greater weight, although short-term exposures may lead to changes that increase risk for triggering acute adverse events, such as myocardial infarction) |
| 3. Population risk | Is there a shift in the population risk distribution of an adverse event? |
| 4. Susceptibility | Are the very young, older adults or individuals with pre-existing health conditions or specific genetic characteristics more likely to be affected? |
| 5. Medical/functional significance | Is there evidence of one or more of the following? 1) severe interference with a normal activity of the affected person or persons; 2) incapacitating illness; 3) permanent injury; 4) progressive dysfunction; 5) reduced quality of life |