Air pollution and human health: Long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution associated with natural-cause mortality

[摘要] Using data from 22 European cohort studies (sample size of 367 251 participants) within the multicentre European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE), this investigation aimed to investigate the association between natural-cause mortality and long-term exposure to several air pollutants. Residential exposure to air pollutants, including annual average concentrations of particulate matter (PM , PM , PM , PM absorbance, NO and NO ) 2.5 10 coarse 2.5 2 x was assessed with land use regression models. Traffic intensity was also included. Using cohort-specific statistical analyses and adjusting for confounders, pooled effect estimates were obtained through a random-effects metaanalysis. A total of 29 076 participants died from natural causes during follow-up (average 13.9 years). Hazard ratios for PM were significantly increased, remaining so when including only participants exposed to PM concentrations 2.5 2.5 3 lower than the European annual mean limit value (25 µg/m ). Hence, long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution was associated with natural-cause mortality.

[学科分类] 土木及结构工程学