Air Pollution Linked to Mortality Globally

A study showed independent associations between short-term exposure to PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 and daily all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality in more than 600 cities across the globe.Daily data on mortality and air pollution were collected from 652 cities in 24 countries or regions to evaluate the associations of inhalable particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm or less (PM₁₀) and fine PM with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM_2.5) with daily all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality. On average, an increase of 10 μg per cubic meter in the 2-day moving average of PM₁₀ concentration, which represents the average over the current and previous day, was associated with increases of 0.44%, 0.36%, and 0.47%in daily all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality, respectively. The corresponding increases in daily mortality for the same change in PM_2.5 concentration were 0.68%, 0.55%, and 0.74%, respectively. These associations remained significant after adjustment for gaseous pollutants. Associations were stronger in locations with lower annual mean PM concentrations and higher annual mean temperatures. The pooled concentration–response curves showed a consistent increase in daily mortality with increasing PM concentration, with steeper slopes at lower PM concentrations. The findings are consistent with previous studies. Source:  https://www.nejm.org/