Ambient temperature enhanced acute cardiovascular-respiratory mortality effects of PM2.5 in Beijing, China
- 23 April 2015
- journal article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in International Journal of Biometeorology
- Vol. 59 (12), 1761-1770
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-015-0984-z
Abstract
Studies have shown that temperature could modify the effect of ambient fine particles on mortality risk. In assessing air pollution effects, temperature is usually considered as a confounder. However, ambient temperature can alter people’s physiological response to air pollution and might “modify” the impact of air pollution on health outcomes. This study investigated the interaction between daily PM2.5 and daily mean temperature in Beijing, China, using data for the period 2005–2009. Bivariate PM2.5–temperature response surfaces and temperature-stratified generalized additive model (GAM) were applied to study the effect of PM2.5 on cardiovascular, respiratory mortality, and total non-accidental mortality across different temperature levels. We found that low temperature could significantly enhance the effect of PM2.5 on cardiovascular mortality. For an increase of 10 μg/m3 in PM2.5 concentration in the lowest temperature range (−9.7∼2.6 °C), the relative risk (RR) of cardiovascular mortality increased 1.27 % (95 % CI 0.38∼2.17 %), which was higher than that of the whole temperature range (0.59 %, 95 % CI 0.22–1.16 %). The largest effect of PM2.5 on respiratory mortality appeared in the high temperature range. For an increase of 10 μg/m3 in PM2.5 concentration, RR of respiratory mortality increased 1.70 % (95 % CI 0.92∼3.33 %) in the highest level (23.50∼31.80 °C). For the total non-accidental mortality, significant associations appeared only in low temperature levels (−9.7∼2.6 °C): for an increase of 10 μg/m3 in current day PM2.5 concentration, RR increased 1.27 % (95 % CI 0.46∼2.00 %) in the lowest temperature level. No lag effect was observed. The results suggest that in air pollution mortality time series studies, the possibility of an interaction between air pollution and temperature should be considered.Keywords
This publication has 37 references indexed in Scilit:
- High ambient temperature and mortality: a review of epidemiologic studies from 2001 to 2008Environmental Health, 2009
- The Effect of Fine and Coarse Particulate Air Pollution on Mortality: A National AnalysisEnvironmental Health Perspectives, 2009
- High Temperatures Enhanced Acute Mortality Effects of Ambient Particle Pollution in the “Oven” City of Wuhan, ChinaEnvironmental Health Perspectives, 2008
- Does temperature modify short-term effects of ozone on total mortality in 60 large eastern US communities? — An assessment using the NMMAPS dataEnvironment International, 2008
- Temperature, air pollution and total mortality during summers in Sydney, 1994–2004International Journal of Biometeorology, 2008
- Factors affecting in-hospital heat-related mortality: a multi-city case-crossover analysisJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2008
- Differentiating the effects of fine and coarse particles on daily mortality in Shanghai, ChinaEnvironment International, 2007
- Impact of control for air pollution and respiratory epidemics on the estimated associations of temperature and daily mortalityInternational Journal of Biometeorology, 2005
- Excess winter mortality in Europe: a cross country analysis identifying key risk factorsJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2003
- Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Mortality in 20 U.S. CitiesThe New England Journal of Medicine, 2001