title: An ecological analysis of PM2.5 concentrations and lung cancer mortality rates in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the association between Particulate Matter (PM)2.5 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm) and lung cancer mortality rates and to estimate the potential risk of lung cancer mortality related to exposure to high PM2.5 concentrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Geographically weighted regression was performed to evaluate the relation between PM2.5 concentrations and lung cancer mortality for males, females and for both sexes combined, in 2008, based on newly available long-term data. Lung cancer fatalities from long-term exposure to PM2.5 were calculated according to studies by Pope III et al and the WHO air quality guidelines (AQGs).
  
  
  METHODS
  31 provinces in China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PM2.5 was associated with the lung cancer mortality of males, females and both sexes combined, in China, although there were exceptions in several regions, for males and females. The number of lung cancer fatalities calculated by the WHO AQGs ranged from 531,036 to 532,004, whereas the number calculated by the American Cancer Society (ACS) reached 614,860 after long-term (approximately 3-4 years) exposure to PM2.5 concentrations since 2008.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a positive correlation between PM2.5 and lung cancer mortality rate, and the relationship between them varies across the entire country of China. The number of lung cancer fatalities estimated by ACS was closer to the actual data than those of the WHO AQGs. Therefore, the ACS estimate of increased risk of lung cancer mortality from long-term exposure to PM2.5 might be more applicable for evaluating lung cancer fatalities in China than the WHO estimate.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jingying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology (Beijing), Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: China Aero Geophysical Survey & Remote Sensing Center for Land and Resources, Beijing, China Institute of Geographical Sciences and Nature Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Satellite Environmental Application Center, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: GWR; PM2.5; ecologic study; lung cancer mortality; population