Particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and daily mortality in Chongqing, China

In 1995, daily mortality in a district of Chongqing, China, was analyzed from January through December for associations with daily ambient sulfur dioxide and fine particles (airborne particles with diameters less than or equal to 2.5 microm; PM2.5. The mean concentration of PM2.5 was 147 microg/m3 (maximum, 666 microg/m3), and that of SO2 was 213 microg/m3 (maximum, 571 microg/m3). On average, 9.6 persons died each day. We used a generalized additive model using robust Poisson regression to estimate the associations of mean daily SO2 and PM2.5 with daily mortality (on the same day and at lags up to 5 days) adjusted for trend, season, temperature, humidity, and day of the week. The relative risk of mortality associated with a 100 microg/m3 increase in mean daily SO2 was highest on the second lag day [1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.00-1.09] and the third lag day (1.04; 95% CI, 0.99-1.08). The associations between daily mortality and mean daily PM2.5 were negative and statistically insignificant on all days. The relative risk of respiratory mortality on the second day after a 100 microg/m3 increase in mean daily SO2 was 1.11 (95% CI, 1.02-1.22), and that for cardiovascular mortality was 1.10 (95% CI, 1.02-1.20). The relative risk of cardiovascular mortality on the third day after a 100 microg/m3 increase in mean daily SO2 was 1.20 (95% CI, 1.11-1.30). The relative risks of mortality due to cancer and other causes were insignificant on both days. The estimated effects of mean daily SO2 on cardiovascular and respiratory mortality risk remained after controlling for PM2.5.