Background: Temuco (304,000 inhabitants) has high levels of air pollution, mainly due to fine particulate matter of less than 10 microm (PM10). The effects of this pollution on population health have not been studied.
Aim: To study the short-term effects of PM10 on daily mortality in Temuco, in Southern Chile, due to respiratory and cardiovascular causes.
Material and methods: We followed the APHEA methodology (Air Pollution and Health European Approach) by estimating poisson multivariate regression models and controlling by trends, seasonality and meteorology. The PM10 variable was introduced after controlling by the confounders and checking by statistical adjustment and autocorrelation of errors. Mortality data was obtained from the Ministry of Health, registering age, gender, place of residence and cause of death. Cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular deaths, occurring between 1997 and 2002, were recorded for this study.
Results: There was a significant and positive association between PM10 concentration and daily mortality caused by respiratory disease (p-value=0.046, relative risk (RR) 1.236, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.004-1.522) and cardiovascular diseases in people aged 65 years and more (p-value=0.042; RR 1.176 95% CI 1.006-1.374).
Conclusions: There is a significant association between daily air pollution by PM10 particulate matter and mortality in Temuco, Chile.