272762 Short-term associations between PM2.5, black carbon, Delta-C, and cardiovascular disease in a developing megacity

Monday, October 29, 2012

Daniel Malashock, MS , School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY
Introduction: We previously identified a relationship between daily particulate matter of ≤ 2.5 microns (PM2.5), hospital admissions, and emergency room (ER) visits due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) among residents living in one of the largest cities in the developing world, Karachi, Pakistan.

Objective: Evaluate combustion-derived particles, such as black carbon (BC) and Delta-C (DC) (a proxy for UV-absorbing organic compounds) as additional metrics for assessing CVD health effects of air pollution in Karachi, Pakistan.

Methods: Year-long (2008-2009) PM2.5 samples were collected at 2 sites at 24-hour intervals, a commercial-residential and industrial-residential site. Daily records of hospitalizations and ER visits for CVDs were collected at the 3 major tertiary hospitals serving Karachi. BC and DC measurements were obtained from PM2.5 filters using an optical transmissometer. Generalized linear time-series models were utilized to analyze daily counts of hospital, meteorological, and pollutant data over 0-3 day lags.

Results/Discussion: Daily concentrations ranged from 27 to 279 µg/m3 for PM2.5, 1 to 32 µg/m3 for BC, and 0 to 9 µg/m3 for DC. Higher effect estimates per 1 µg/m3 for BC and DC compared with PM2.5 were observed. BC and DC from the commercial-residential site yielded higher effect estimates than from the industrial-residential site. When PM2.5 was modeled with an additional indicator, estimates generally increased and became more robust. These results suggest BC and DC were associated with CVD health effects that were not reflected quantitatively when modeled with PM2.5.

Conclusion: BC and DC are valuable additional indicators for evaluating health risks from combustion-derived particles.

Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciences
Epidemiology
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate the increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with combustion derived particles. Assess the short-term associations between high levels of ambient air pollutant and cardiovascular disease. Describe annual concentrations of ambient air pollutants in a developing megacity.

Keywords: Air Quality, Urban Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have extensive knowledge and experience in environmental health sciences (e.g., laboratory analyses, aerosol sampling) and epidemiological investigations of associations between air pollution and health outcomes (e.g., time-series modeling, risk-estimation).
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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