[The short-term effects of air pollution on mortality: the results of the EMECAM project in Castellón, 1991-95. Estudio Multicéntrico Español sobre la Relación entre la Contaminación Atmosférica y la Mortalidad].
BACKGROUND
In the last decade several studies have found out an association between air pollution and mortality in levels below the standards allowed by regulations. Castellón is a small city (134,000 inhabitants) with low air pollution levels. This work aims to identify if there is a short term relation between these both variables in this city.


METHODS
We used mortality data and air pollution data (black smoke and sulphur dioxide), from 1.991 to 1.995, doing an ecological study using a time series analysis with the day as unit of the analysis. Poisson regression allow us to get the relative risk adjusted by others variables (meteorological, trend, influenza, day of the week, season) in autoregresive models.


RESULTS
Black smoke and SO2 daily means were respectively 34.6 and 15.7 micrograms/m3. Results showed a 3.6% (IC95 0.3-7.0) of SO2 and 3.5% (IC95% 0.5-6.5) increment of cardiovascular mortality for an increment of 10 micrograms/m3 of SO2 and black smoke respectively. Sulphur dioxide was positively associated with all four groups of mortality causes but only in cold season.


CONCLUSIONS
Even in a small city with low air pollution levels, we found an association between air pollution and immediate mortality. In some cases, the analysis by periods (warm and cold) show an strong effect modification.
Bellido Blasco
J B
JB
Sección de Epidemiología, Dirección Territorial de Sanidad Castellón, Conselleria de Sanitat.
Daudí
C F
CF
Arnedo Pena
A
A
González Morán
F
F
Herrero Carot
C
C
Safont Adsuara
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008685:Meteorological Concepts; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk; D012621:Seasons; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors
D000393:Air Pollutants; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide
Efectos a corto plazo de la contaminación atmosférica sobre la mortalidad: resultados del proyecto EMECAM en Castellón, 1991-95.