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The results of several studies have indicated significant associations between daily mortality and air pollution, with little evidence of a threshold. In the current study, the authors examined daily mortality during the period 1987-1993 for the Brisbane region, which is the fastest-growing urban region in Australia (annual average concentration of particulate matter less than 10 [micro]m in diameter = 27 [micro]g/[m.sup.3], maximum hourly sulfur dioxide level = 60 ppb, and maximum daily ozone hourly level = 118 ppb). The authors conducted a general estimating equation analysis, and they used autoregressive Poisson models for daily mortality to examine associations with air pollution variables. The authors used research methods developed in the Air Pollution on Health, European Approach (APHEA), project to control confounding effects of weather and temporal trends. The air pollutants examined included particulate pollution (measured by nephelometry [bsp data]), sulfur dioxide, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. The results indicated that the associations between total daily mortality and particulate levels found in studies in the United States and other countries may be applicable in Brisbane, Australia. Ozone levels were also associated significantly with total daily mortality. There was little evidence of interaction between the ozone effects (mainly in summer) and particulates or with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. The associations between pollutants (ozone, bsp) and daily mortality were significant only for individuals who were older than 65 y of age; positive associations were also found with cardiovascular disease categories, and the regression coefficients--when significant--were higher than those for total mortality. The results indicated a possible threshold for ozone levels, but a similar result for particulate levels was not apparent., CONSISTENT ASSOCIATIONS between air pollution and daily mortality, and which occur across a range of climatic conditions and cities, have been described in recent comprehensive reviews.[1-3] One of the most [...]

The authors investigated the effects of ambient air pollution on hospital admissions in Brisbane, Australia. The authors used the Air Pollution on Health: European Approach protocol to examine the effects of particles, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide on daily hospital admissions for asthma and respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive disorders (control diagnosis) that occurred during the period 1987-1994. Ozone was consistently associated with admissions for asthma and respiratory disease--with little evidence of a threshold. In two-pollutant models, the ozone effect was relatively unaffected by the control for high levels of other pollutants. Particulate pollution (measured by nephelometry) was associated positively with admissions for respiratory disease and admissions for asthma in summer, whereas a negative association was observed for cardiovascular admissions. Although sulfur dioxide was associated significantly with admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular disease, a significant association was also found for the control diagnosis of digestive disorders. No significant associations were found for nitrogen dioxide over the study period, although significantly positive seasonal interactions were found for asthma and respiratory disease in autumn, winter, and spring. It was concluded that current levels of ambient air pollution in Brisbane make a significant contribution to the variation in daily hospital admissions for asthma and respiratory disease., HISTORICALLY, associations between air pollution and health have been identified and quantified most clearly in episodic situations. For example, in the early 1950s, a period of high pollution in London [...]

Objective:To examine the short‐term health effects of air pollution on daily mortality in four Australian cities (Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney), where more than 50% of Australians reside.

An Ecological Footprint is defined as the area of land needed to produce the natural resources a population consumes and to assimilate the waste that population produces. By providing a link between consumption and lifestyle and available ecological space, the Ecological Footprint illustrates the concepts of carrying capacity and sustainability. This article presents the results of a detailed study of Australia. The results indicate the Ecological Footprint of the average Australian is approximately 6 hectares per capita. This is more than 4 times the globally available ‘fair share’, placing Australia among the top five consuming nations in the world. This result highlights the unsustainable global nature of the Australian lifestyle, particularly the level of consumption of energy and animal products, with large inequities between Western countries such as Australia, and developing countries.

The results of several studies have indicated significant associations between daily mortality and air pollution, with little evidence of a threshold. In the current study, the authors examined daily mortality during the period 1987–1993 for the Brisbane region, which is the fastest-growing urban region in Australia (annual average concentration of particulate matter less than 10 μm in diameter = 27 μg/m3, maximum hourly sulfur dioxide level = 60 ppb, and maximum daily ozone hourly level = 118 ppb). The authors conducted a general estimating equation analysis, and they used autoregressive Poisson models for daily mortality to examine associations with air pollution variables. The authors used research methods developed in the Air Pollution on Health, European Approach (APHEA), project to control confounding effects of weather and temporal trends. The air pollutants examined included particulate pollution (measured by nephelometry [bsp data]), sulfur dioxide, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. The results indicated that the associations between total daily mortality and particulate levels found in studies in the United States and other countries may be applicable in Brisbane, Australia. Ozone levels were also associated significantly with total daily mortality. There was little evidence of interaction between the ozone effects (mainly in summer) and particulates or with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. The associations between pollutants (ozone, bsp) and daily mortality were significant only for individuals who were older than 65 y of age; positive associations were also found with cardiovascular disease categories, and the regression coefficients–when significant–were higher than those for total mortality. The results indicated a possible threshold for ozone levels, but a similar result for particulate levels was not apparent.

Objective: To determine whether there are any secular trends in the incidence of childhood cancer in Queensland. Design: A retrospective epidemiological study of the incidence of cancer in children, aged 0‐12 years, in Queensland during the 16‐year period 1973‐1988 inclusive. Setting: Cases were found from the records of the Queensland Childhood Malignancy Registry. Ascertainment is believed to be virtually complete for children aged 0‐12 years. Participants: All children who were resident in Queensland and less than 13 years of age at the time of diagnosis of cancer. The cases included all malignant neoplasms and also all intracranial neoplasms in children but excluded Langerhans' cell histiocytosis. Main outcome measurements: The incidence by year of diagnosis was calculated for each of a number of standard diagnostic groups of neoplasms. These data were analysed by the x2for trend test. Results: Cancer incidence was found to be increasing at a rate of about 0.9% per year. The rise was almost entirely accounted for by a rise in incidence among boys, whereas there was virtually no change in the incidence in girls. Statistically significant increases in incidence were found in acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia and also in nonHodgkin's lymphoma in boys; Hodgkin's disease was found to be decreasing in incidence. Conclusions: The results of this study emphasise the importance of childhood cancer incidence surveillance in Australia to determine whether these trends will continue in the future. The findings also indicate a need for continuing research in childhood cancer epidemiology.

Focuses on the development of the Ecological Footprint (EF) needed to assess the production of natural resources. Definition of EF; Effect of unsustainable consumption pattern on the deterioration of the global environment; Incorporation of consumption and human resources demands into an aggregate indicator of sustainability.