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A time-stratified case-crossover study of fine particulate matter air pollution and mortality in Guangzhou, China

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Abstract

Objectives

Few studies in China investigate health impact of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) due to lack of monitoring data and the findings are controversial. The aim of this study is to examine the short-association between PM2.5 and daily mortality in Guangzhou, the economic center of south China.

Methods

In Guangzhou, we measured daily PM2.5 concentrations between 2007 and 2008 and conducted a time-stratified case-crossover analysis to explore the association between PM2.5 and daily mortality, and examine potential effect modifiers including age, sex, and education.

Results

The averaged PM2.5 concentration in 2007–2008 was 70.1 μg/m3 in Guangzhou, which was approximately seven times higher than the WHO Air Quality Guidelines for PM2.5 (annual average: 10 μg/m3). Regression analysis showed that ambient PM2.5 was associated with mortality from all causes and cardiorespiratory diseases. An increase of 10 μg/m3 in 2-day moving average (lag01) concentration of PM2.5 corresponds to 0.90% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55, 1.26%] increase of total mortality, 1.22% (95% CI: 0.63, 1.68%) increase of cardiovascular mortality, and 0.97% (95% CI: 0.16, 1.79%) increase of respiratory mortality. The associations were stronger in the elderly (aged 65 years or more), in females, and in those with low education level, but the differences were statistically insignificant. After adjustment for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), however, the effects of PM2.5 decreased and became statistically insignificant.

Conclusions

Our findings provided new information for the adverse health effects of PM2.5 in China, and may have some implications for environmental policy making and standard setting in Guangzhou.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by the National Basic Research Program (973 program) of China (2011CB503802), Gong-Yi Program of China Ministry of Environmental Protection (200809109 and 201209008), National Natural Science Foundation of China (30800892), and Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-09-0314).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Chunxue Yang, Renjie Chen, Bingheng Chen & Haidong Kan

  2. G_RIoCE (Research Institute for the Changing Global Environment) and Fudan Tyndall Centre, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Chunxue Yang, Renjie Chen, Bingheng Chen & Haidong Kan

  3. South China Institute of Environmental Sciences (SCIES), Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), Guangzhou, 510655, China

    Xiaowu Peng & Zhencheng Xu

  4. Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Wei Huang

Authors
  1. Chunxue Yang
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  2. Xiaowu Peng
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  3. Wei Huang
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  4. Renjie Chen
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  5. Zhencheng Xu
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  6. Bingheng Chen
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  7. Haidong Kan
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Xiaowu Peng, Wei Huang or Haidong Kan.

Additional information

Chunxue Yang and Xiaowu Peng contributed equally to this work.

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Yang, C., Peng, X., Huang, W. et al. A time-stratified case-crossover study of fine particulate matter air pollution and mortality in Guangzhou, China. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 85, 579–585 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0707-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0707-7

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