Two-way effect modifications of air pollution and air temperature on total natural and cardiovascular mortality in eight European urban areas

Author: Chen K, Wolf K, Breitner S, Gasparrini A, Stafoggia M, Samoli E, Andersen ZJ, Bero-Bedada G, Bellander T, Hennig F, Jacquemin B, Pekkanen J, Hampel R, Cyrys J, Peters A, Schneider A

Year: 2018

Published in: Environment International. 116: 186-196

Although epidemiological studies have reported associations between mortality and both ambient air pollution and air temperature, it remains uncertain whether the mortality effects of air pollution are modified by temperature and vice versa. Moreover, little is known on the interactions between ultrafine particles (diameter75th percentile), an increase of 10,000 particles/cm(3) in PNC corresponded to a 2.51% (95% CI: 0.39%, 4.67%) increase in cardiovascular mortality, which was significantly higher than that on days with low air temperatures (<25th percentile) [-0.18% (95% CI: -0.97%, 0.62%)]. On days with high air pollution (>50th percentile), both heat- and cold-related mortality risks increased. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that high temperature could modify the effects of air pollution on daily mortality and high air pollution might enhance the air temperature effects.