Air pollution and mortality in the Canary Islands: a time-series analysis.
BACKGROUND
The island factor of the cities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, along with their proximity to Africa and their meteorology, create a particular setting that influences the air quality of these cities and provides researchers an opportunity to analyze the acute effects of air-pollutants on daily mortality.


METHODS
From 2000 to 2004, the relationship between daily changes in PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, and ozone levels and daily total mortality and mortality due to respiratory and heart diseases were assessed using Generalized Additive Poisson models controlled for potential confounders. The lag effect (up to five days) as well as the concurrent and previous day averages and distributed lag models were all estimated. Single and two pollutant models were also constructed.


RESULTS
Daily levels of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, and SO2 were found to be associated with an increase in respiratory mortality in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and with increased heart disease mortality in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, thus indicating an association between daily ozone levels and mortality from heart diseases. The effects spread over five successive days. SO2 was the only air pollutant significantly related with total mortality (lag 0).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a short-term association between current exposure levels to air pollution and mortality (total as well as that due specifically to heart and respiratory diseases) in both cities. Risk coefficients were higher for respiratory and cardiovascular mortality, showing a delayed effect over several days.
López-Villarrubia
Elena
E
Dirección General de Salud Pública, Gobierno de Canarias, Alfonso XIII, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
Ballester
Ferran
F
Iñiguez
Carmen
C
Peral
Nieves
N
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000032:analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005843:Geography; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D010126:Ozone / Q000032:analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000401:mortality*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D013995:Time
D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D010126:Ozone; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide