title: Spatial analysis of annual air pollution exposure and mortality.
abstract: The aim of this study was to relate ambient air pollution levels to mortality in Auckland, New Zealand. We used urban airshed modelling and GIS-based techniques to quantify long-term exposure to ambient air pollution levels and associated mortality. After adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and urban/rural domicile there was a 1.3% (95%CI: 1-1.5%) increase in non-external cause mortality, and 1.8% (95%CI: 1.5-2.1%) increase in circulatory and respiratory causes per 1 microg/m(3) increase in annual average NO(2). Based on these exposure-response relationships and applying an annual average threshold of 13 microg/m(3), the average annual (for 1996-1999) number of people estimated to die from non-external causes and circulatory and respiratory causes attributable to air pollution in Auckland is 268 (95% range: 227-310) (3.9% of total all cause deaths) and 203 (95% range: 169-237) (5.9% of total circulatory and respiratory deaths) per year, respectively. The number of attributable deaths found in this study are consistent with a previous New Zealand risk assessment using a different methodology, and is approximately twice the number of people dying from motor vehicle accidents in the region, which is on average (1996-1999) 103 per year. The GIS-based exposure maps identify high exposure areas for policy developers and planners in a simple and realistic manner. Taken together with overseas studies the study provides additional evidence that long-term exposure to poor air quality, even at levels below current standards, is a hazard to the public health.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited, Private Bag 109 695, Newmarket 269 Khyber Pass Rd, Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scoggins
authors.forename: Tord
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kjellstrom
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Jennie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gimson
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009026:Mortality; D009520:New Zealand; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide