Relationship between mortality and fine particles during Asian dust, smog–Asian dust, and smog days in Korea

Abstract

This study examined the association between all-cause/cardiovascular mortality and PM_2.5 as related to Asian dust (AD), smog–AD, smog, and nonevent days and evaluated the differential risks according to specific events for mortality. The daily records of all-cause/cardiovascular mortality and PM_2.5 from March to May 2003–2006 in Seoul, Korea, were used as independent and dependent variables. Differences in the event effects were assessed using a time-series analysis. Both all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities were significantly associated with PM_2.5 during smog–AD and AD days only. Differences in chemical composition emerging during long-range transport to Korea may explain these observations, especially as regards secondary aerosol, metal-sulfate/or nitrate, and metallic components. These results suggest that exposure to PM_2.5 during specific events isdifferentially associated with human mortality and that changes in the chemicalcomposition of PM_2.5, occurring during long-range transport, represent important factors in such differential effects on health.

Keywords:

• Asian dust
• smog
• PM_2.5
• mortality
• time series

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Korean Ministry of Environment (Ecotechnopia 091-071-057, 09001-0032-0) and Global Research Lab (K21004000001-10A0500-00710) from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.