More bad news about bad air

Three new studies released in December by the California Air Resources Board reveal that exposure to airborne fine-particulate matter significantly elevates the risk for premature deaths from heart disease in older adults and elevates incidence of strokes among post-menopausal women.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in California and is responsible for approximately 35 percent of annual deaths.

The board commissioned the studies to further investigate the connection between fine particulate pollution and public health impacts in California.

—Air Resources Board