TY - JOUR

T1 - National Cohort Study of Long-Term Exposure to PM2.5 Components and Mortality in Medicare American Older Adults

AU - Hao, Hua

AU - Wang, Yifan

AU - Zhu, Qiao

AU - Zhang, Haisu

AU - Rosenberg, Andrew

AU - Schwartz, Joel

AU - Amini, Heresh

AU - van Donkelaar, Aaron

AU - Martin, Randall

AU - Liu, Pengfei

AU - Weber, Rodney

AU - Russel, Armistead

AU - Yitshak-sade, Maayan

AU - Chang, Howard

AU - Shi, Liuhua

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - There is increasing evidence linking long-term fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure to negative health effects. However, the relative influence of each component of PM2.5 on health risk is poorly understood. In a cohort study in the contiguous United States between 2000 and 2017, we examined the effect of long-term exposure to PM2.5 main components and allcause mortality in older adults who had to be at least 65 years old and enrolled in Medicare. We estimated the yearly mean concentrations of six key PM2.5 compounds, including black carbon (BC), organic matter (OM), soil dust (DUST), nitrate (NO3-), sulfate (SO42-), and ammonium (NH4+), using two independently sourced well-validated prediction models. We applied Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate the hazard ratios for mortality and penalized splines for assessing potential nonlinear concentration-response associations. Results suggested that increased exposure to PM2.5 mass and its six main constituents were significantly linked to elevated all-cause mortality. All components showed linear concentration-response relationships in the low exposure concentration ranges. Our research indicates that long-term exposure to PM2.5 mass and its essential compounds are strongly connected to increased mortality risk. Reductions of fossil fuel burning may yield significant air quality and public health benefit.

AB - There is increasing evidence linking long-term fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure to negative health effects. However, the relative influence of each component of PM2.5 on health risk is poorly understood. In a cohort study in the contiguous United States between 2000 and 2017, we examined the effect of long-term exposure to PM2.5 main components and allcause mortality in older adults who had to be at least 65 years old and enrolled in Medicare. We estimated the yearly mean concentrations of six key PM2.5 compounds, including black carbon (BC), organic matter (OM), soil dust (DUST), nitrate (NO3-), sulfate (SO42-), and ammonium (NH4+), using two independently sourced well-validated prediction models. We applied Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate the hazard ratios for mortality and penalized splines for assessing potential nonlinear concentration-response associations. Results suggested that increased exposure to PM2.5 mass and its six main constituents were significantly linked to elevated all-cause mortality. All components showed linear concentration-response relationships in the low exposure concentration ranges. Our research indicates that long-term exposure to PM2.5 mass and its essential compounds are strongly connected to increased mortality risk. Reductions of fossil fuel burning may yield significant air quality and public health benefit.

KW - survival analysis

KW - all-cause mortality

KW - air pollution

KW - PM2

KW - 5 components

KW - PARTICULATE MATTER CONSTITUENTS

KW - AIR-POLLUTION

KW - CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY

KW - HEALTH

KW - PARTICLES

KW - FINE

KW - CARBON

KW - ATHEROSCLEROSIS

KW - SULFATE

U2 - 10.1021/acs.est.2c07064

DO - 10.1021/acs.est.2c07064

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37074132

VL - 57

SP - 6835

EP - 6843

JO - Environmental Science & Technology

JF - Environmental Science & Technology

SN - 0013-936X

IS - 17

ER -