title: Short-term association between exposure to ozone and mortality in Oporto, Portugal.
abstract: Exposures to air pollution in developed countries have generally decreased over the last two decades. However, many recent epidemiological studies have consistently shown positive associations between low-level exposure to air pollutants and health outcomes. In Portugal, very few studies have analysed the acute effect of air pollutants on health. The present study evaluates the association between exposure to air pollution and daily mortality in the Oporto Metropolitan Area, Portugal. Generalised additive models were used for this analysis. Pollutants assessed were ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter (PM(10)). Models were adjusted for time trend, seasonality, and weather. We report that an increase of 10 μg/m(3) in the daily ozone 8-h maximum moving-average corresponds to an increase of 0.95% (95%CI: 0.30, 1.60) and 1.58% (95%CI: 0.45, 2.73) in non-accidental mortality and cardiovascular mortality, respectively, in the summer season. A significant effect of 0.67% (95% CI: 0.03:1.32) was also found for the association between PM(10) and non-accidental mortality in the summer season. Associations with ozone and PM(10) exposures were higher in the elderly people. No significant effects on mortality were observed during the summer season with nitrogen dioxide exposures. Our analyses provide the first significant evidence in Oporto that exposures to O(3) and PM(10) have adverse effects on the health of the general population in the summer months.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Avenue Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal. sofiapintoalm@sapo.pt
authors.forename: Sofia Pinto
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casimiro
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calheiros
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000506:poisoning*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D010126:Ozone / Q000506:poisoning*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000506:poisoning*; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012621:Seasons; D014505:Urban Population; D014887:Weather
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D010126:Ozone