Air pollution and mortality in Barcelona.
OBJECTIVE
Studies conducted in Barcelona reported a short term relation between daily air pollutant values and emergency department admissions for exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and asthma. Air pollution in Barcelona is mainly generated by vehicle exhaust and is below the World Health Organization air quality guidelines. The acute relation between air pollution and mortality was assessed.


METHODS
Daily variations in total mortality, mortality in subjects older than 70 years, and cardiovascular and respiratory mortality were related with daily variations in air pollutants for the period 1985-91, using autoregressive Poisson regression models that allow to control for temperature, relative humidity and variables handling temporal and autoregressive patterns.


RESULTS
Black smoke and sulphur dioxide (SO2) were related to total mortality (relative risks (RR) for 100 micrograms/m3 = 1.07 and 1.13 respectively), elderly mortality (RR = 1.06 and 1.13), cardiovascular mortality (RR = 1.09 and 1.14), and respiratory mortality (RR = 1.10 and 1.13); all the associations being statistically significant, except for respiratory mortality (p = 0.07). The association between SO2 and respiratory mortality was stronger in summer (1.24, p < 0.01) than in winter (1.08, p > 0.1). Oxidant pollutants (nitrogen dioxide and ozone) were positively related with elderly mortality (RR = 1.05 and 1.09, respectively) and cardiovascular mortality (RR = 1.07 and 1.09) during the summer (p < 0.05), but not during the winter.


CONCLUSIONS
Current air pollutant levels were related to mortality in Barcelona. These results were consistent with similar studies in other cities and coherent with previous studies with emergency room admissions in Barcelona.
Sunyer
J
J
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain.
Castellsagué
J
J
Sáez
M
M
Tobias
A
A
Antó
J M
JM
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D002423:Cause of Death; D006801:Humans; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010126:Ozone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000401:mortality*; D012621:Seasons; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis
D000393:Air Pollutants; D012906:Smoke; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D010126:Ozone; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide