Temporal changes in short-term associations between cardiorespiratory emergency department visits and PM2.5 in Los Angeles, 2005 to 2016

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jianzhao Bi, Emory University; Rohna R D'Souza, Emory University; David Q Rich, University of Rochester; Philip K Hopke, University of Rochester; Armistead G Russell, Georgia Institute of Technology; Yang Liu, Emory University; Howard Chang, Emory University; Stefanie Ebelt, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-11-01
• Publisher: ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109967
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
• Volume: 190
• Start Page: 109967
• End Page: 109967
• Keywords: NEW-YORK-STATE; FINE-PARTICLE CONCENTRATIONS; Trends; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION; POLICIES; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Toxicity; Environmental Sciences; CVD; Particulate matter; ASTHMA; Science & Technology; PARTICULATE MATTER; EXPOSURE; CARDIOVASCULAR HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS; AIR-POLLUTION; TIME-SERIES; Asthma; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

Abstract

Background: Emissions control programs targeting certain air pollution sources may alter PM2.5 composition, as well as the risk of adverse health outcomes associated with PM2.5. Objectives: We examined temporal changes in the risk of emergency department (ED) visits for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and asthma associated with short-term increases in ambient PM2.5 concentrations in Los Angeles, California. Methods: Poisson log-linear models with unconstrained distributed exposure lags were used to estimate the risk of CVD and asthma ED visits associated with short-term increases in daily PM2.5 concentrations, controlling for temporal and meteorological confounders. The models were run separately for three predefined time periods, which were selected based on the implementation of multiple emissions control programs (EARLY: 2005–2008; MIDDLE: 2009–2012; LATE: 2013–2016). Two-pollutant models with individual PM2.5 components and the remaining PM2.5 mass were also considered to assess the influence of changes in PM2.5 composition on changes in the risk of CVD and asthma ED visits associated with PM2.5 over time. Results: The relative risk of CVD ED visits associated with a 10 μg/m3 increase in 4-day PM2.5 concentration (lag 0–3) was higher in the LATE period (rate ratio = 1.020, 95% confidence interval = [1.010, 1.030]) compared to the EARLY period (1.003, [0.996, 1.010]). In contrast, for asthma, relative risk estimates were largest in the EARLY period (1.018, [1.006, 1.029]), but smaller in the following periods. Similar temporal differences in relative risk estimates for CVD and asthma were observed among different age and season groups. No single component was identified as an obvious contributor to the changing risk estimates over time, and some components exhibited different temporal patterns in risk estimates from PM2.5 total mass, such as a decreased risk of CVD ED visits associated with sulfate over time. Conclusions: Temporal changes in the risk of CVD and asthma ED visits associated with short-term increases in ambient PM2.5 concentrations were observed. These changes could be related to changes in PM2.5 composition (e.g., an increasing fraction of organic carbon and a decreasing fraction of sulfate in PM2.5). Other factors such as improvements in healthcare and differential exposure misclassification might also contribute to the changes.