US EPA

1255442 

Journal Article 

Distributed lag associations between respiratory illnesses and mortality with suspended particle concentration in Tula, a highly polluted industrial region in Central Mexico 

Melgar-Paniagua, EM; Vega-Rangel, E; Del Razo, LM; Lucho-Constantino, CA; Rothenberg, SJ; De Vizcaya-Ruiz, A 

2013 

Yes 

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
ISSN: 0340-0131
EISSN: 1432-1246 

86 

3 

321-332 

English 

22484788 

10.1007/s00420-012-0768-2 

WOS:000316484000008 

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the association between changes in airborne particulate matter concentration (PM) with changes in cases of mortality, acute respiratory infections (ARI) and asthma over 2004-2008 in an industrialized and polluted region in central Mexico. METHODS: A generalized linear model with a Poisson distribution and a negative binomial analysis was used to evaluate the influence of PM and temperature on all-cause mortality (All-cause-M), cause-specific mortality (Cause-specific-M), ARI and asthma, using cubic spline functions and distributed lags of PM. Estimated changes in relative risk were calculated for an exposure corresponding to each increase of 10 μg/m(3) in PM level. RESULTS: Associations between PM and mortality and morbidity were statistically most consistent for total suspended particulate (TSP) than for particulate matter <10 μM aerodynamic diameter (PM(10)). The greatest effects in mortality were observed with a 3-week lag, and effects were greater for Cause-specific-M. We also found a displacement effect up to 4-week lag for Cause-specific-M and TSP. The greatest effects in morbidity were observed at 0-week lag, yet they were statistically marginal and were greater for asthma. We found a displacement effect at 4-5-6-week lag for asthma and TSP. All associations of mortality and morbidity, expressed as change in relative risk, were greater with PM(10); however, all of them were statistically marginal. CONCLUSIONS: Increased respiratory morbidity and mortality is associated with weekly changes of PM air pollution in the region. A reduction in air pollutants from industrial sources would benefit life quality and health of the exposed population. 

Respiratory illnesses; Mortality; Air pollution; Generalized linear model; Distributed lag model; Time-series