Effects of short- and long-term exposures to ambient air pollution on COPD.

The London fog episode in 1952 was a sentinel event that indicated that short-term exposure to ambient air pollution could adversely influence the health of persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A review of autopsy records indicated a doubling of cases with COPD as a major finding compared with other periods [1]. The association between greater levels of ambient air pollution measured in the community and an increase in subsequent short-term COPD-related mortality and hospitalisations has been confirmed by analysis of health related administrative data, including records of hospital admissions and emergency room visits in the USA, Asia and Europe [2–14].