Multi-City Mortality & Morbidity Study

In May 2003, the Environment Protection and Heritage Council approved a research study which examined the effects of air pollution of human health in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Canberra in Australia, and from Auckland and Christchurch in New Zealand.

The study included an analysis of data from these cities on mortality and hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular disease using a standardised statistical approach consistent with large multi-city studies in the USA and Europe. The study also included an analysis of the health effects attributed to PM_2.5 and PM₁₀. The principal investigators were the University of the Sunshine Coast in association with the School of Population Health, University of Queensland, and associate investigators include New South Wales Health, Queensland Health, Environment Protection Victoria, West Australian Department of Environment Protection, Environment ACT, and the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment.

A final report of the study was presented by the investigators in 2006. A peer review of the study was initiated in 2007, focusing on the study design, the soundness and reliability of the statistical methods used and whether the methods employed had been applied appropriately.

The peer review was conducted by international experts (Prof Ross Anderson and Dr Richard Atkinson, St Georges Hospital, London; Dr Lucas Neas, US EPA; and, Dr Annette Peters, GSF Germany). All reviewers provided positive responses to the report and did not identify any issues with the method used in the analysis. Most comments focused on interpretation and presentation of the results. These issues were relayed to the researchers and were addressed in the finalisation of the report for the EPHC in July 2010.

The study will provide useful information for the review of the Ambient Air Quality NEPM.