Associations between Air Pollution and Mortality in Phoenix, 1995-1997 

Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 108, Number 4, Apr00

Therese F. Mar,¹ Gary A. Norris,² Jane Q. Koenig,¹ and Timothy V. Larson³

¹Department of Environmental Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
²U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
³Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

Abstract
We evaluated the association between mortality outcomes in elderly individuals and particulate matter (PM) of varying aerodynamic diameters (in micrometers) [PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM_CF (PM₁₀ minus PM_2.5)], and selected particulate and gaseous phase pollutants in Phoenix, Arizona, using 3 years of daily data (1995-1997). Although source apportionment and epidemiologic methods have been previously combined to investigate the effects of air pollution on mortality, this is the first study to use detailed PM composition data in a time-series analysis of mortality. Phoenix is in the arid Southwest and has approximately 1 million residents (9.7% of the residents are > 65 years of age). PM data were obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Exposure Research Laboratory Platform in central Phoenix. We obtained gaseous pollutant data, specifically carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulfur dioxide data, from the EPA Aerometric Information Retrieval System Database. We used Poisson regression analysis to evaluate the associations between air pollution and nonaccidental mortality and cardiovascular mortality. Total mortality was significantly associated with CO and NO₂ (p < 0.05) and weakly associated with SO₂, PM₁₀, and PM_CF (p < 0.10). Cardiovascular mortality was significantly associated with CO, NO₂, SO₂, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, PM_CF (p < 0.05), and elemental carbon. Factor analysis revealed that both combustion-related pollutants and secondary aerosols (sulfates) were associated with cardiovascular mortality. Key words: cardiovascular, composition, factor analysis, particulate matter, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, sources. Environ Health Perspect 108:347-353 (2000). [Online 25 February 2000]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2000/108p347-353mar/abstract.html

Address correspondence to T.F Mar, Department of Environmental Health, Box 357234, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7234 USA. Telephone: (206) 685-1596. Fax: (206) 685-3990. E-mail: therese@u.washington.edu

We thank D. Bates for his advice and comments regarding the manuscript. We also thank T. Moore for advice regarding the representative spatial scale of the platform particulate matter measurements, C. Mrela for the mortality data, and B. O'Brian for help with assembling the data.

This publication was made possible in part by grant 5T32 ES07262 from the NIEHS, NIH. The U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development partially funded and collaborated in the research described here under assistance agreement R 827355 to the University of Washington.

The contents of this paper are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIEHS, NIH. This paper has been subjected to EPA review and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation for use.

Received 8 September 1999; accepted 9 November 1999.

Last Updated: February 24, 2000