Estimating the mortality impacts of particulate matter: what can be learned from between-study variability?
Open accessAbstract
Epidemiologic studies of the link between particulate matter (PM) concentrations and mortality rates have yielded a range of estimates, leading to disagreement about the magnitude of the relationship and the strength of the causal connection. Previous meta-analyses of this literature have provided pooled effect estimates, but have not addressed between-study variability that may be associated with analytical models, pollution patterns, and exposed populations. To determine whether study-specific factors can explain some of the variability in the time-series studies on mortality from particulate matter [less than/equal to] 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(10)), we applied an empirical Bayes meta-analysis. We estimate that mortality rates increase on average by 0.7% per 10 microg/m(3) increase in PM(10) concentrations, with greater effects at sites with higher ratios of particulate matter [less than/equal to] 2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(2.5))/PM(10). This finding did not change with the inclusion of a number of potential confounders and effect modifiers, although there is some evidence that PM effects are influenced by climate, housing characteristics, demographics, and the presence of sulfur dioxide and ozone. Although further analysis would be needed to determine which factors causally influence the relationship between PM(10) and mortality, these findings can help guide future epidemiologic investigations and policy decisions.
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Recent epidemiological studies present evidence that fine particulates (size <2.5 μm) are more strongly related to adverse health outcomes than coarse particles.
“These studies present evidence that fine particulates (size, <2.5 μm) are more strongly related to adverse health outcomes than coarse particles (10, 31, 48).”
From Fungal Fragments as Indoor Air Biocontaminants (2002) · cites this paper as [31]
The Conclusions report a stronger PM10–mortality relationship in locations with higher PM2.5/PM10 ratios, supporting a role for fine particles. The indexed passage does not give a direct fine-versus-coarse comparison, and the analysis concerns mortality rather than adverse health outcomes generally. Page numbers are not identified for these passages. (LLM, conf=0.83)
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References 52 · Cited by 209
- Authors
- Levy, J. I., Hammitt, J. K., & Spengler, J. D.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Venue
- Environmental Health Perspectives
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2000-02-01
- Volume
- 108
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 109-117
- ISSN
- 0091-6765 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-9924
- PMC
- PMC1637882
- OpenAlex
- W2145880514
- Cited by
- 209
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2025: 16 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 10.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- public-domain
- creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (vor, 6541 d)
- Locations
- Environmental Health Perspectives (publishedVersion, public-domain)
- Environmental Health Perspectives (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Climate Change and Health Impacts
- Keywords
- particulate matter, PM10, PM2.5, mortality, air pollution health effects, between-study variability, time-series studies, effect modifiers, sulfur dioxide, ozone, housing characteristics, demographic factors
- MeSH terms
- Air Pollution, Bayes Theorem, Humans, Mortality, Particle Size
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