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Short-term exposure to particulate matter constituents and mortality in a national study of U.S. urban communities.

ABSTRACT: Although the association between PM2.5 mass and mortality has been extensively studied, few national-level analyses have estimated mortality effects of PM2.5 chemical constituents. Epidemiologic studies have reported that estimated effects of PM2.5 on mortality vary spatially and seasonally. We hypothesized that associations between PM2.5 constituents and mortality would not vary spatially or seasonally if variation in chemical composition contributes to variation in estimated PM2.5 mortality effects.We aimed to provide the first national, season-specific, and region-specific associations between mortality and PM2.5 constituents.We estimated short-term associations between nonaccidental mortality and PM2.5 constituents across 72 urban U.S. communities from 2000 to 2005. Using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Chemical Speciation Network data, we analyzed seven constituents that together compose 79-85% of PM2.5 mass: organic carbon matter (OCM), elemental carbon (EC), silicon, sodium ion, nitrate, ammonium, and sulfate. We applied Poisson time-series regression models, controlling for time and weather, to estimate mortality effects.Interquartile range increases in OCM, EC, silicon, and sodium ion were associated with estimated increases in mortality of 0.39% [95% posterior interval (PI): 0.08, 0.70%], 0.22% (95% PI: 0.00, 0.44), 0.17% (95% PI: 0.03, 0.30), and 0.16% (95% PI: 0.00, 0.32), respectively, based on single-pollutant models. We did not find evidence that associations between mortality and PM2.5 or PM2.5 constituents differed by season or region.Our findings indicate that some constituents of PM2.5 may be more toxic than others and, therefore, regulating PM total mass alone may not be sufficient to protect human health.

SUBMITTER: Krall JR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3801200 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Short-term exposure to particulate matter constituents and mortality in a national study of U.S. urban communities.

Krall Jenna R JR Anderson G Brooke GB Dominici Francesca F Bell Michelle L ML Peng Roger D RD

Environmental health perspectives 20130802 10

<h4>Background</h4>Although the association between PM2.5 mass and mortality has been extensively studied, few national-level analyses have estimated mortality effects of PM2.5 chemical constituents. Epidemiologic studies have reported that estimated effects of PM2.5 on mortality vary spatially and seasonally. We hypothesized that associations between PM2.5 constituents and mortality would not vary spatially or seasonally if variation in chemical composition contributes to variation in estimated ...[more]

PMID: 23912641

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Project description:ImportanceThe association between short-term exposure to air pollution and mortality has been widely documented worldwide; however, few studies have applied causal modeling approaches to account for unmeasured confounders that vary across time and space.ObjectiveTo estimate the association between short-term changes in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations and changes in daily all-cause mortality rates using a causal modeling approach.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional study used air pollution and mortality data from Jiangsu, China; California; central-southern Italy; and Germany with interactive fixed-effects models to control for both measured and unmeasured spatiotemporal confounders. A total of 8 963 352 deaths in these 4 regions from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019, were included in the study. Data were analyzed from June 1, 2021, to October 30, 2023.ExposureDay-to-day changes in county- or municipality-level mean PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations.Main outcomes and measuresDay-to-day changes in county- or municipality-level all-cause mortality rates.ResultsAmong the 8 963 352 deaths in the 4 study regions, a 10-μg/m3 increase in daily PM2.5 concentration was associated with an increase in daily all-cause deaths per 100 000 people of 0.01 (95% CI, 0.001-0.01) in Jiangsu, 0.03 (95% CI, 0.004-0.05) in California, 0.10 (95% CI, 0.07-0.14) in central-southern Italy, and 0.04 (95% CI, 0.02- 0.05) in Germany. The corresponding increases in mortality rates for a 10-μg/m3 increase in NO2 concentration were 0.04 (95% CI, 0.03-0.05) in Jiangsu, 0.03 (95% CI, 0.01-0.04) in California, 0.10 (95% CI, 0.05-0.15) in central-southern Italy, and 0.05 (95% CI, 0.04-0.06) in Germany. Significant effect modifications by age were observed in all regions, by sex in Germany (eg, 0.05 [95% CI, 0.03-0.06] for females in the single-pollutant model of PM2.5), and by urbanicity in Jiangsu (0.07 [95% CI, 0.04-0.10] for rural counties in the 2-pollutant model of NO2).Conclusions and relevanceThe findings of this cross-sectional study contribute to the growing body of evidence that increases in short-term exposures to PM2.5 and NO2 may be associated with increases in all-cause mortality rates. The interactive fixed-effects model, which controls for unmeasured spatial and temporal confounders, including unmeasured time-varying confounders in different spatial units, can be used to estimate associations between changes in short-term exposure to air pollution and changes in health outcomes.

Project description:BackgroundNumerous studies have linked fine particles [? 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(2.5))] and health. Most studies focused on the total mass of the particles, although the chemical composition of the particles varies substantially. Which chemical components of fine particles that are the most harmful is not well understood, and research on the chemical composition of PM(2.5) and the components that are the most harmful is particularly limited in Asia.ObjectivesWe characterized PM(2.5) chemical composition and estimated the effects of cause-specific mortality of PM(2.5) mass and constituents in Seoul, Korea. We compared the chemical composition of particles to those of the eastern and western United States.MethodsWe examined temporal variability of PM(2.5) mass and its composition using hourly data. We applied an overdispersed Poisson generalized linear model, adjusting for time, day of week, temperature, and relative humidity to investigate the association between risk of mortality and PM(2.5) mass and its constituents in Seoul, Korea, for August 2008 through October 2009.ResultsPM(2.5) and chemical components exhibited temporal patterns by time of day and season. The chemical characteristics of Seoul's PM(2.5) were more similar to PM(2.5) found in the western United States than in the eastern United States. Seoul's PM(2.5) had lower sulfate (SO(4)) contributions and higher nitrate (NO(3)) contributions than that of the eastern United States, although overall PM(2.5) levels in Seoul were higher than in the United States. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in magnesium (Mg) (0.05 ?g/m³) was associated with a 1.4% increase (95% confidence interval: 0.2%, 2.6%) in total mortality on the following day. Several components that were among the largest contributors to PM(2.5) total mass--NO(3), SO(4), and ammonium (NH(4))--were moderately associated with same-day cardiovascular mortality at the p < 0.10 level. Other components with smaller mass contributions [Mg and chlorine (Cl)] exhibited moderate associations with respiratory mortality on the following day (p < 0.10).ConclusionsOur findings link PM(2.5) constituents with mortality and have implications for policy making on sources of PM(2.5) and on the relevance of PM(2.5) health studies from other areas to this region.

Dataset Information

Short-term exposure to particulate matter constituents and mortality in a national study of U.S. urban communities.

Publications

Short-term exposure to particulate matter constituents and mortality in a national study of U.S. urban communities.

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