Acute Relationships Among Daily Mortality, Air Pollution, and Climate

"Killer fogs" and other acute air pollution episodes have occurred in the past fifty years.' The highly industrialized Meuse Valley of Belgium experienced climatic conditions permitting the buildup of abnormally high levels of air pollutants (particularly sulfur dioxide) during December 1930. Over a five-day period, approximately 6,000 people became ill and approximately 60 died (most of whom were elderly persons or those with previous heart and lung conditions). This was more than 10 times the number of deaths which would normally be expected.