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Herein is the discussion of the 2006 A&WMA Critical Review1, 2 on “Health Effects of Fine Particulate Air Pollution: Lines that Connect.” In the review, Drs. C. Arden Pope III and Douglas Dockery addressed the epidemiological evidence for the effects of particulate matter (PM) on human health indicators. The review documents substantial progress since the 1997 Critical Review3 in the areas of:(1) short-term exposure and mortality;(2) long-term exposure and mortality;(3) time scales of exposure;(4) the shape of the concentration-response function;(5) cardiovascular disease; and (6) biological plausibility.

Invited and contributing discussants agree and disagree with points made in the review. Each discussion is self-contained and adds information relevant to the topic. Joint authorship of this article does not imply that a discussant subscribes to the opinions expressed by others. Commentaries are the opinions of the …