California Air Resources Board

Over 90 percent of Californians breathe unhealthy levels of air pollutants sometime during the year. While all health impacts from air pollution are important to Californians, the severity of these effects range from exacerbation of asthma to the most serious premature death. Sensitive groups include the elderly and specifically elderly women and people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease including asthma. Also children, infants and pregnant women can be at increased risk of experiencing harmful effects from exposure to air pollution. Other groups such as those who work outdoors may be at greater risk due to increased exposures and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods have been linked to higher level of air pollution and greater sensitivity to the impacts of air pollution.

Vulnerable Populations Research Program

CARB conducts vulnerable populations research. The overall goal of the Vulnerable Populations Research Program (VPRP) is to provide the scientific support, through research efforts, for CARB's regulatory and non-regulatory programs that aim to protect all California residents, including those subpopulations considered especially vulnerable, from the adverse effects of air pollution. The major objectives of the VPRP are to identify susceptible subpopulations, to quantify the degree to which their health is compromised, and to characterize their exposure to air pollutants. CARB released the VPRP 2003 Progress Report and Research Plan which presents CARB's priorities for future activities in the implementation of this Program. For more information about the VPRP, contact Dr. Barbara Weller at (916) 324-4816.