Effects of short-term exposure to ambient airborne pollutants on COPD-related mortality among the elderly residents of Chengdu city in Southwest China

Abstract

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become a severe global burden in terms of both health and the economy. Few studies, however, have thoroughly assessed the influence of air pollution on COPD-related mortality among elderly people in developing areas in the hinterland of southwestern China. This study is the first to examine the association between short-term exposure to ambient airborne pollutants and COPD-related mortality among elderly people in the central Sichuan Basin of southwestern China. Methods Data on COPD-related mortality among elderly people aged 60 and older were obtained from the Population Death Information Registration and Management System (PDIRMS). Data on airborne pollutants comprised of particulate matter < 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) were derived from 23 municipal environmental monitoring sites. Data on weather conditions, including daily mean temperature and relative humidity, were obtained from the Chengdu Meteorological Bureau. All data were collected from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2018. A quasi-Poisson general additive model (GAM) was utilized to assess the effects of short-term exposure to airborne pollutants on COPD-related mortality among elderly people. Results A total of 61,058 COPD-related deaths of people aged 60 and older were obtained. Controlling the influences of daily temperature and relative humidity, interquartile range (IQR) concentration increases of PM2.5 (43 μg/m3), SO2 (8 μg/m3), NO2 (18 μg/m3), CO (0.4 mg/m3), and O3 (78 μg/m3) were associated with 2.7% (95% CI 1.0–4.4%), 4.3% (95% CI 2.1–6.4%), 3.6% (95% CI 1.7–5.6%), 2.7% (95% CI 0.6–4.8%), and 7.4% (95% CI 3.6–11.3%) increases in COPD-related mortality in people aged 60 and older, respectively. The exposure-response curves between each pollutant and the log-relative risk of COPD-related mortality exhibited linear relationships. Statistically significant differences in the associations between pollutants and COPD-related mortality were not observed among sociodemographic factors including age, gender, and marital status. The effects of O3 remained steady after adjusting for PM2.5, SO2, NO2, and CO each time in the two-pollutant models. Conclusions Increased concentrations of ambient airborne pollutants composed of PM2.5, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO were significantly and positively associated with COPD-related mortality in the central Sichuan Basin, which is located in the hinterland of southwestern China. The adverse effects of O3 were stable, a finding that should receive more attention.

Short-term effects and economic burden of air pollutants on acute lower respiratory tract infections in children in Southwest China: a time-series study

“…Moreover, the authors observed that the association of SO 2 and NO 2 with ALRI hospitalizations became partially statistically insignificant after mutual adjustments. This observation is similar to the results of a number of previous studies [ 56 ]. There may be an interaction between SO 2 and NO 2 ; moreover, both particulate matter and NO 2 are traffic-related pollutants and are highly correlated [ 44 ].…”

Air Pollution, Road Proximity, Greenspace, Indoor Air Pollution and Reduced Lung Function Incidence in Children : A Case-control Study

“…The season of testing was winter, so the exposure levels of O3 in spring, summer and Autumn were included. According to the previous studies, the concentrations of O3 in the air were higher in summer and lower in spring and autumn, so no significant harmful effects of O3 on lung function in children were found in this study (Chen et al, 2021).…”

Association Between Sulfur Dioxide and Daily Inpatient Visits With Respiratory Diseases in Ganzhou, China: A Time Series Study Based on Hospital Data

“…Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), mainly comes from various industrial processes, transportation, and vehicles, power plants, and fuel (coal) combustion, is one of the most common and irritant air pollutants in developing countries and industrialized areas ( 2 – 5 ). Several epidemiological studies have revealed that SO 2 exposure is related to human respiratory health ( 6 , 7 ), including stimulating the respiratory tract ( 8 ), leading to the decline of pulmonary function ( 9 , 10 ), and the increased mortality due to respiratory diseases ( 11 , 12 ). However, there are few studies on the relationship between SO 2 and respiratory morbidity in developing countries.…”