Background: Air pollution in large Chinese cities has led to recent studies that highlighted the relationship between particulate matters (PM) and elevated risk of cardio-cerebrovascular mortality. However, it is unclear as to whether: (1) The same adverse relations exist in cities with relatively low levels of air pollution; and (2) the relationship between the two are similar across ethnic groups.
Methods: We collected data of PM2.5 (PM with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm) and PM10 (aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 µm) in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016. Using a time-stratified case-crossover design, we investigated whether levels of particulate pollutants influence the risk of cardio-cerebrovascular disease mortality among ethnic Korean vs. ethnic Han residents residing in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture.
Results: Under the single air pollutant model, the odds ratios (ORs) of cardio-cerebrovascular disease were 1.025 (1.024⁻1.026) for each 10 μg/m³ increase in PM2.5 at lag0 day, 1.012 (1.011⁻1.013) for each 10 μg/m³ increase in PM10 at lag1 day. In the multi-pollutant model adjusted by PM10, SO₂, and NO₂, the ORs of cardio-cerebrovascular disease were 1.150 (1.145⁻1.155) for ethnic Koreans and 1.154 (1.149⁻1.158) for ethnic Hans for each 10 μg/m³ increase in PM2.5. In the multi-pollutant model adjusted by PM2.5, SO₂, and NO₂, the ORs of cardio-cerebrovascular disease were 1.050 (1.047⁻1.053) for ethnic Koreans and 1.041 (1.039⁻1.043) for ethnic Hans for each 10 μg/m³ increase in PM10.
Conclusion: This study showed that PM2.5 and PM10 were associated with increased risks of acute death events in residential cardio-cerebrovascular disease in Yanbian, China.
Keywords: PM10; PM2.5; cardiovascular disease; cerebrovascular disease.