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C. Arden Pope, III¹ and Laurence S. Kalkstein²

¹Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 USA; ²Department of Geography, Center for Climatic Research, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 USA

Abstract
This study estimated the association between particulate air pollution and daily mortality in Utah Valley using the synoptic climatological approach to control for potential weather effects. This approach was compared with alternative weather modeling approaches. Although seasonality explained a significant amount of variability in mortality, other weather variables explained only a very small amount of additional variability in mortality. The synoptic climatological approach performed as well or slightly better than alternative approaches to controlling for weather. However, the estimated effect of particulate pollution on mortality was mostly unchanged or slightly larger when synoptic categories were used to control for weather. Furthermore, the shape of the estimated dose-response relationship was similar when alternative approaches to controlling for weather were used. The associations between particulate pollution and daily mortality were not significantly different from a linear exposure-response relationship that extends throughout the full observed range of pollution. Key words: air pollution, mortality, particle pollution, synoptic weather modeling, weather. Environ Health Perspect 104:414-420 (1996)

Address correspondence to C. Arden Pope, 142 FOB, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 USA.

We thank Allan Marcus for his encouragement and support. This research was supported in part by the Environmental Protection Agency (contract nos. 5D0610NATX and 5D1872NATX) .

Received 26 October 1995 ; accepted 2 January 1996.