Time-Series Analysis of Mortality Effects of Fine Particulate Matter Components in Detroit and Seattle

• Published in: Environmental health perspectives Vol. 119; no. 4; pp. 461 - 466
• Main Authors: JIANG ZHOU, ITO, Kazuhiko, LALL, Ramona, LIPPMANN, Morton, THURSTON, George
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Research Triangle Park, NC US Department of Health and Human Services 01.04.2011; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• Subjects: Air; Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollutants - toxicity; Air pollution; Air Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon; Cardiovascular Diseases - mortality; Combustion; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental aspects; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental pollutants toxicology; Epidemiological Monitoring; Health; Health aspects; Humans; Mathematical models; Medical sciences; Michigan - epidemiology; Mortality; Particle Size; Particles; Particulate Matter - analysis; Particulate Matter - toxicity; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Respiratory tract diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases - mortality; Risk factors; Seasons; Toxicology; Traffic engineering; Traffic flow; United States; Washington - epidemiology; United States; North America; America; Michigan; Washington; INE, USA, Washington, Seattle; USA, Michigan, Detroit; Human; Chemical compound; Mortality; Time series; cardiovascular mortality; chemical components; distributed lag model; Respiratory system; Epidemiology; Pollutant; gaseous pollutants; Health and environment; Fine particle; Aerosols; respiratory mortality; Air pollution; Models; Circulatory system; Time analysis; PM; time-series analysis
• ISSN: 0091-6765; 1552-9924
• DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1002613

Recent toxicological and epidemiological studies have shown associations between particulate matter (PM) and adverse health effects, but which PM components are most influential is less well known. In this study, we used time-series analyses to determine the associations between daily fine PM [PM ≤ 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5)] concentrations and daily mortality in two U.S. cities-Seattle, Washington, and Detroit, Michigan. We obtained daily PM2.5 filters for the years of 2002-2004 and analyzed trace elements using X-ray fluorescence and black carbon using light reflectance as a surrogate measure of elemental carbon. We used Poisson regression and distributed lag models to estimate excess deaths for all causes and for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases adjusting for time-varying covariates. We computed the excess risks for interquartile range increases of each pollutant at lags of 0 through 3 days for both warm and cold seasons. The cardiovascular and respiratory mortality series exhibited different source and seasonal patterns in each city. The PM2.5 components and gaseous pollutants associated with mortality in Detroit were most associated with warm season secondary aerosols and traffic markers. In Seattle, the component species most closely associated with mortality included those for cold season traffic and other combustion sources, such as residual oil and wood burning. The effects of PM2.5 on daily mortality vary with source, season, and locale, consistent with the hypothesis that PM composition has an appreciable influence on the health effects attributable to PM.