Short-term PM1 and PM2.5 exposure and asthma mortality in Jiangsu Province, China: What's the role of neighborhood characteristics?

Jian Song; Zhen Ding; Hao Zheng; Zhiwei Xu; Jian Cheng; Rubing Pan; Weizhuo Yi; Jing Wei; Hong Su

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113765

Short-term PM₁ and PM_2.5 exposure and asthma mortality in Jiangsu Province, China: What's the role of neighborhood characteristics?

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 Aug:241:113765. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113765. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Authors

Jian Song¹, Zhen Ding², Hao Zheng², Zhiwei Xu³, Jian Cheng¹, Rubing Pan¹, Weizhuo Yi¹, Jing Wei⁴, Hong Su⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui，Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, China.
² Department of Environmental Health, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China.
³ School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.
⁴ Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. Electronic address: weijing@umd.edu.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui，Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, China. Electronic address: suhong5151@sina.com.

PMID: 35753271
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113765

Abstract

Background: Evidence suggests that particulate matter (PM) with smaller particle sizes (such as PM₁, PM with an aerodynamic diameter≤1 µm) may have more toxic health effects. However, the short-term association between PM₁ and asthma mortality remains largely unknown.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the short-term effects of PM₁ and PM_2.5 on asthma mortality, as well as to investigate how neighborhood characteristics modified this association.

Methods: Daily data on asthma mortality were collected from 13 cities in Jiangsu Province, China, between 2016 and 2017. A time-stratified case-crossover design was attempted to examine the short-term effects of PM₁ and PM_2.5 on asthma mortality. Individual exposure levels of PM₁ and PM_2.5 on case and control days were determined based on individual's residential addresses. Stratified analyses by neighborhood characteristics (including green space, tree canopy, blue space, population density, nighttime light and street connectivity) were conducted to identify vulnerable living environments.

Results: Mean daily concentrations of PM₁ and PM_2.5 on case days were 33.8 μg/m³ and 54.3 μg/m³. Each 10 μg/m³ increase in three-day-averaged (lag02) PM₁ and PM_2.5 concentrations were associated with an increase of 6.66% (95%CI:1.18%,12.44%) and 2.39% (95%CI: 0.05%-4.78%) asthma mortality, respectively. Concentration-response curves showed a consistent increase in daily asthma mortality with increasing PM₁ and PM_2.5 concentrations. Subgroup analyses indicated that the effect of PM₁ appeared to be evident in neighborhood characteristics with high green space, low urbanization level and poor street connectivity.

Conclusion: This study suggested an association between short-term PM₁ and PM_2.5 exposures and asthma mortality. Several neighborhood characteristics (such as green space and physical supportive environment) that could modify the effect of PM₁ on asthma mortality should be further explored.

Keywords: Asthma; Neighborhood characteristics; PM(1); PM(2.5).

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / adverse effects
Air Pollution* / analysis
Asthma* / mortality
China / epidemiology
Environmental Exposure / adverse effects
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Humans
Neighborhood Characteristics
Particulate Matter / toxicity

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter