title: Short-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and daily mortality in London, UK.
abstract: Epidemiological studies have linked daily concentrations of urban air pollution to mortality, but few have investigated specific traffic sources that can inform abatement policies. We assembled a database of >100 daily, measured and modelled pollutant concentrations characterizing air pollution in London between 2011 and 2012. Based on the analyses of temporal patterns and correlations between the metrics, knowledge of local emission sources and reference to the existing literature, we selected, a priori, markers of traffic pollution: oxides of nitrogen (general traffic); elemental and black carbon (EC/BC) (diesel exhaust); carbon monoxide (petrol exhaust); copper (tyre), zinc (brake) and aluminium (mineral dust). Poisson regression accounting for seasonality and meteorology was used to estimate the percentage change in risk of death associated with an interquartile increment of each pollutant. Associations were generally small with confidence intervals that spanned 0% and tended to be negative for cardiovascular mortality and positive for respiratory mortality. The strongest positive associations were for EC and BC adjusted for particle mass and respiratory mortality, 2.66% (95% confidence interval: 0.11, 5.28) and 2.72% (0.09, 5.42) per 0.8 and 1.0 μg/m(3), respectively. These associations were robust to adjustment for other traffic metrics and regional pollutants, suggesting a degree of specificity with respiratory mortality and diesel exhaust containing EC/BC.
authors.affiliation: Population Health Research Institute and MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, St George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, UK.
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Analitis
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Samoli
authors.affiliation: MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, London, UK.
authors.forename: Gary W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.affiliation: MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, London, UK.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, London, UK.
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Mudway
authors.affiliation: Population Health Research Institute and MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, St George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, UK.|MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, London, UK.
authors.forename: Hugh R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, London, UK.
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kelly
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D002244:Carbon / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D002947:Cities; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012042:Registries; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality*; D053260:Soot / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D053260:Soot; D002244:Carbon; D002248:Carbon Monoxide