 To date no study has looked at the burden of cardiovascular disease in Israel and its relation to ambient air pollution. Standardized mortality ratios due to cardiovascular disease are significantly elevated in the Haifa Bay Area in comparison to the rest of the country; mortality due to MI is 13 above national average while total ischemic heart disease mortality is 29 above national average. The Haifa Bay Area has a long history of industrialization including possessing the nations largest oil refineries, oil-fired power plant, agrochemical and cement producers, industrial incinerators and the Eastern Mediterraneans busiest port. The presence of industrial and mobile sources, combined with a basin effect has contributed to air pollution in the Haifa Bay Area and has raised concerns about potential health effects. 