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Air pollution and mortality in Barcelona
J Sunyer1, J Castellsagué, M Sáez
1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain.
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
|April 1, 1996
Summary
Daily air pollution, even below WHO guidelines, is linked to increased mortality in Barcelona. Black smoke and sulfur dioxide showed significant associations with total, elderly, and cardiovascular deaths.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Barcelona experiences air pollution primarily from vehicle exhaust, with levels often below WHO guidelines.
- Previous studies indicated a short-term link between daily air pollutant levels and emergency department visits for respiratory conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the acute relationship between daily air pollutant levels and mortality in Barcelona.
- To investigate the impact of specific pollutants on overall, elderly, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality.
Main Methods:
- Utilized autoregressive Poisson regression models to analyze daily variations in mortality (total, elderly, cardiovascular, respiratory) against daily air pollutant levels from 1985-91.
- Controlled for environmental factors including temperature and relative humidity, as well as temporal and autoregressive patterns.
Main Results:
- Black smoke and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were significantly associated with increased total, elderly, and cardiovascular mortality.
- A significant association was observed between SO2 and respiratory mortality, particularly in summer.
- Oxidant pollutants (nitrogen dioxide, ozone) showed positive associations with elderly and cardiovascular mortality during summer months.
Conclusions:
- Current levels of air pollution in Barcelona are demonstrably linked to increased mortality.
- Findings align with similar studies in other urban areas and previous Barcelona-based research on emergency room admissions.