Ambient air pollution and daily mortality in Anshan, China A time-stratified case-crossover analysis

Few case-crossover studies were conducted in China to investigate the acute health effects of air pollution We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover analysis to examine the association between air pollution and daily mortality in Anshan a heavily-polluted industrial city in northeastern China Daily mortality air pollution, and weather data in 2004-2006 in Anshan were collected Time-stratified case-crossover approach was used to estimate the effect of air pollutants (PM10 SO2 NO2 and CO) on total and cardiopulmonary mortality Controls were selected as matched days of the week in the same month Potential effect modifiers such as gender and age were also examined We found significant associations between air pollution and daily mortality from cardiovascular diseases in Anshan A 10 mu g/m(3) elevation of 2-day moving average (lag 01) concentration in PM10 SO2 NO2 and CO corresponded to 067% (95% CI 029% 104%) 0.38% (95% CI -0 06% 0 83%) 211% (95% CI 022% 400%) and 004% (95% CI 001% 007%) increase of cardiovascular mortality The associations for total and respiratory mortality were generally positive but statistically insignificant The air pollution health effects were significantly modified by age but not by gender Conclusively our study showed that short-term exposure to air pollution was associated with increased cardiovascular mortality in Anshan These findings may have implications for local environmental and social policies (C) 2010 Elsevier BV All rights reserved