Short-term Health Effects of Fine and Ultra-fine Particle Pollution in Beijing, China

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Particulate air pollution has been associated consistently with daily mortality and morbidity around the world. At present, PM10 and PM2.5 (particles smaller than 10 ¿m or 2.5 ¿m aerodynamic diameter) are the most frequently used particle metric in epidemiological investigations. In addition, some newer findings suggest, that particles significantly smaller than PM2.5 may be of special importance for human health. The study proposed here will assess short term health-effects in two parts: First it will retrospectively associate PM10 and gaseous pollutants with daily mortality. Secondly, the associations between particle pollution in the size range between 3 nm and 10 ¿m and emergency visits for cardiovascular and pulmonary disease will be investigated prospectively. The exposure assessment will be based on state-of-the-art particle measurements in a DFGfunded project (Wiedensohler, IfT Leipzig). All cases of emergency room visits in the vicinity of the measuring site will be ascertained by a short standardized protocol to be filled in by the treating physician in hospitals adjacent to the measurement station. Poisson regression analyses models will be used to quantify the association between daily numbers of emergency room visits and ambient particle concentrations controlling for seasonal variation, weather conditions and calendar effects. Dose-response functions will be assessed with parametric as well as semi-paramteric functions to allow for flexible confounder control. Therefore, this three-year project will provide new evidence on the relative role of changes in air pollution in Beijing retrospectively and on the relative importance of particles in different size ranges on daily counts of cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidity. Based on these quantitative assessments, recommendations for local authorities will derived.