State to track heat-related deaths, illnesses

SACRAMENTO
August 4, 2006 6:21am

How many people died in California’s July heat storm? Somewhere between 130 and 140 people, based on media reports. There is no final, official, figure from government.

But a federal grant to the California Department of Health Services may end such uncertainty when the next blanket of heat envelops the state.

The five-year grant, worth up to $4.5 million from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will be used to track deaths and illnesses related to increased temperatures and global climate change.

Tracking of such diseases as asthma, heart attacks, short-latency cancers, autism and low birth weight births, all of which are known or suspected to be related to air pollution from traffic and toxic gases from industrial sources, will also be included in the future.

"The tragic deaths and illnesses during our most recent heat wave exemplify how high temperatures can pose a serious health threat for Californians," says state Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton. "Along with heat-related illnesses and deaths, we will be tracking other health conditions expected to increase as the state gets hotter."

According to Paul English, principal CDHS environmental health investigator for the study, health risks will increase with continued population growth and development in the hottest regions of the state, along with increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Motor vehicle exhaust is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, according to Mr. English. These gases increase global warming by trapping sunlight and heat and also increase levels of ground-level ozone that can exacerbate illnesses, such as asthma, he says.

California has the largest greenhouse gas emissions of any state in the United States, emitting roughly 500 million metric tons annually.