TY - JOUR
T1 - Spatial analysis of annual air pollution exposure and mortality
AU - Scoggins, Amanda
AU - Kjellstrom, Tord
AU - Fisher, Gavin
AU - Connor, Jennie
AU - Gimson, Neil
PY - 2004/4/5
Y1 - 2004/4/5
N2 - The aim of this study was to relate ambient air pollution levels to mortality in Auckland, New Zealand. We used urban airshed modelling and GIS-based techniques to quantify long-term exposure to ambient air pollution levels and associated mortality. After adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and urban/rural domicile there was a 1.3% (95%CI: 1-1.5%) increase in non-external cause mortality, and 1.8% (95%CI: 1.5-2.1%) increase in circulatory and respiratory causes per 1 μg/m3 increase in annual average NO2. Based on these exposure-response relationships and applying an annual average threshold of 13 μg/m3, the average annual (for 1996-1999) number of people estimated to die from non-external causes and circulatory and respiratory causes attributable to air pollution in Auckland is 268 (95% range: 227-310) (3.9% of total all cause deaths) and 203 (95% range: 169-237) (5.9% of total circulatory and respiratory deaths) per year, respectively. The number of attributable deaths found in this study are consistent with a previous New Zealand risk assessment using a different methodology, and is approximately twice the number of people dying from motor vehicle accidents in the region, which is on average (1996-1999) 103 per year. The GIS-based exposure maps identify high exposure areas for policy developers and planners in a simple and realistic manner. Taken together with overseas studies the study provides additional evidence that long-term exposure to poor air quality, even at levels below current standards, is a hazard to the public health.
AB - The aim of this study was to relate ambient air pollution levels to mortality in Auckland, New Zealand. We used urban airshed modelling and GIS-based techniques to quantify long-term exposure to ambient air pollution levels and associated mortality. After adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and urban/rural domicile there was a 1.3% (95%CI: 1-1.5%) increase in non-external cause mortality, and 1.8% (95%CI: 1.5-2.1%) increase in circulatory and respiratory causes per 1 μg/m3 increase in annual average NO2. Based on these exposure-response relationships and applying an annual average threshold of 13 μg/m3, the average annual (for 1996-1999) number of people estimated to die from non-external causes and circulatory and respiratory causes attributable to air pollution in Auckland is 268 (95% range: 227-310) (3.9% of total all cause deaths) and 203 (95% range: 169-237) (5.9% of total circulatory and respiratory deaths) per year, respectively. The number of attributable deaths found in this study are consistent with a previous New Zealand risk assessment using a different methodology, and is approximately twice the number of people dying from motor vehicle accidents in the region, which is on average (1996-1999) 103 per year. The GIS-based exposure maps identify high exposure areas for policy developers and planners in a simple and realistic manner. Taken together with overseas studies the study provides additional evidence that long-term exposure to poor air quality, even at levels below current standards, is a hazard to the public health.
KW - ARC, Auckland Regional Council
KW - Air pollution
KW - CAU, Census Area Unit
KW - CLIDB, New Zealand National Climate Database
KW - CO, carbon monoxide
KW - Geographic information systems (GIS)
KW - Long-term exposure
KW - Mortality
KW - New Zealand
KW - Nitrogen dioxide
KW - Urban airshed model
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=1642543859&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.09.020
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.09.020
M3 - Article
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 321
SP - 71
EP - 85
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
IS - 1-3
ER -