Long-Term Inhalable Particles and Other Air Pollutants Related to Mortality in Nonsmokers

TLDR

The study examined long‑term ambient concentrations of PM10 and other pollutants (sulfates, SO₂, O₃, NO₂) in a cohort of 6,338 nonsmoking California Seventh‑day Adventists to assess their relation to mortality. PM10 was strongly linked to nonmalignant respiratory disease mortality (RR 1.18 per 43 d/yr increase above 100 µg/m³) and to male lung cancer mortality (RR 2.38 per IQR), while ozone showed an even stronger male lung cancer association (RR 4.19 per 551 h/yr above 100 ppb); sulfur dioxide also correlated with lung cancer in both sexes, whereas other pollutants had weak or no effects.

Abstract

Long-term ambient concentrations of inhalable particles less than 10 μ m in diameter (PM10) (1973– 1992) and other air pollutants—total suspended sulfates, sulfur dioxide, ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide—were related to 1977–1992 mortality in a cohort of 6,338 nonsmoking California Seventh-day Adventists. In both sexes, PM10 showed a strong association with mortality for any mention of nonmalignant respiratory disease on the death certificate, adjusting for a wide range of potentially confounding factors, including occupational and indoor sources of air pollutants. The adjusted relative risk (RR) for this cause of death as associated with an interquartile range (IQR) difference of 43 d/yr when PM10 exceeded 100 μ g/m3 was 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02, 1.36). In males, PM10 showed a strong association with lung cancer deaths—RR for an IQR was 2.38 (95% CI: 1.42, 3.97). Ozone showed an even stronger association with lung cancer mortality for males with an RR of 4.19 (95% CI: 1.81, 9.69) for the IQR difference of 551 h/yr when O3 exceeded 100 parts per billion. Sulfur dioxide showed strong associations with lung cancer mortality for both sexes. Other pollutants showed weak or no association with mortality.