[Short-term effects of air pollution on human health: from epidemiological research to epidemiological surveillance].

OBJECTIVE: the present introductory paper illustrates the general framework of the Project EpiAir >, of the Italian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Italian Ministry of Health. The project was designed to provide methods and criteria for epidemiological surveillance of the health effects of air pollution in large Italian cities. METHOD: we considered the relevant information available on the health effects of air pollution in Europe and in Italy, and the aspects critical to running a surveillance program. RESULTS: the project made available a system of data and information to evaluate the health effects of air pollution. Health outcomes of interest are daily mortality (non accidental causes, cardiovascular, and respiratory causes) and cardiorespiratory hospital admissions. The project collected standardized data for the years 2001-2005 in ten Italian cities (Turin, Milan, Mestre, Bologna, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Taranto, Palermo, Cagliari). A network of public institutions in the field of environmental control and public health participated in the project. The surveillance system was set up for the period 2001- 2005 in order to evaluate future trends in the environmental and health circumstances (2006-2010) using reliable and standardized methods. CONCLUSION: we set up a long-term surveillance program of the health effects of air pollution.