Hazards of Commuting
Center members at UCLA and USC have recently published new research findings on the air pollution that gets inside our cars while we are driving on busy freeways. Center members Bill Hinds and Nola Kennedy of UCLA are co-authors of a study that used a filtered 9-passenger van as a mobile laboratory, with state of the art monitoring instruments inside. One interesting finding was that particle-bound PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, some of which are considered cancer-causing) were more than twice as high on the truck-congested I-710 freeway than on the mostly automobile I-405 freeway. Read More .
 A new study by a Center researcher based at USC and the California Air Resources Board found that up to half of Los Angeles residents' total exposure to harmful air pollutants occurs while they are traveling in their vehicles. They concluded that diesel trucks and hard-accelerating vehicles were the biggest contributors to on-road pollution . “ T his study was the first to look at the effect of driving and traffic conditions at this level of detail and to demonstrate the specific factors leading to the highest pollutant exposures for drivers,” said Scott Fruin, assistant professor of Preventive Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Read More.
Center Seminar on Global Shipping Emissions
 Dr. James Corbett gave a seminar at the USC Health Sciences Campus on May 2 nd , entitled “Modeling and Mitigating Health Impacts of Goods Movement.” Center members from USC and UCLA and members of environmental organizations in Los Angeles attended the seminar, which detailed methods used in his recent study “Mortality from ship emissions: a global assessment.” The study made news headlines with its estimate of the number people around the world who die prematurely every year from heart and lung diseases due to pollution from global shipping. Dr. Corbett and colleagues estimate that the deaths currently number 60,000 and could increase as shipping grows around the world. The research paper appeared in the journal Environmental Science Technology , Dec 15, 2007, 41(24): 8512-8 . The seminar also covered future projects, including modeling the emissions of various modes of transportation, in order to compare modes such as train, truck, and ship. James Corbett, P.E., Ph.D., is the Interim Director of Marine Policy Program, Associate Professor of Marine Policy, College of Marine and Earth Studies, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering , at the University of Delaware .
Children's Health Study Video on YouTube USC Channel
 The University of Southern California has ventured into YouTube territory with its own USC YouTube Channel . The video " A Breath of Air " is now available to view on the USC channel. This 2004 video details the work of Center scientists on the health effects of air pollution, and also the community perspective on air pollution in the Los Angeles area. It was produced and directed by Keren Markuze, with Andrea Hricko, a USC associate professor of preventive medicine at Keck School of Medicine as executive director, with funding from the California Air Resources Board and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. An update to the video will be produced in 2008.
Links:
View the Breath of Air video on the USC YouTube Channel.
More information about the Children's Health Study.
Order a free copy of the video (English or Spanish) from the California Air Resources Board.
HOPE Partnership
Interactive classroom activities, presentations, fact sheets, and information on cancer education are now available on our Center website. Perfect for teachers, groups, and anyone interested in learning more about cancer. Download the free activities , fact sheets and presentations , and cancer overview .
This information is provided by the Center's outreach program in  collaboration with the HOPE Partnership (Health Observances and Public Education) project. The HOPE project provides science and public health education materials to the public, to increase the understanding of health research. The HOPE materials on cancer were developed primarily by collaborators at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Materials are also available on Asthma and Allergies and Lead Poisoning .
Global Trade Comes Home: Community Impacts of Goods Movement
A major focus of our Center's Community Outreach and Education Program is ensuring that “health” becomes a more integral part of transportation policy discussions and decisions, especially with regard to impacts from international trade and the country's largest port complex, here in southern California . The Center's director of outreach, Andrea Hricko, has written an article describing many of the health and policy issues to inform the debate. Read more.
Moving Forward Conference 2007
The Center was a sponsor of the November 30-December 1, 2007 “Moving Forward” Conference on finding healthy solutions to the community and health impacts from ports and “goods movement.” Thank you to all of the participants who attended the “Moving Forward” Conference and contributed to its great success! The conference was enriched by your stories, knowledge, and energy for change.
 "Moving Forward" provided an opportunity to learn about the current health research related to air pollution and ports/goods movement, to hear from communities about health-related concerns and efforts related to ports and goods movement, and to work together to develop strategies on preventing and reducing those health impacts. More than 550 participants attended each day of the two-day conference from 16 states and 4 countries, and with many backgrounds: community and environmental organizations, academic institutions, labor unions, policy groups, nursing, teaching, and government.
Visit www.TheImpactProject.org for updates, presentations, and resource materials now available online.
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