TY - JOUR
T1 - The relationship between black carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposures and mortality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
AU - Warren, Rebecca J.
AU - Martenies, Sheena E.
AU - Peel, Jennifer L.
AU - Yi, Tan
AU - Robinson, Allen L.
AU - Presto, Albert A.
AU - Magzamen, Sheryl
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for this work was provided by the Heinz Endowments awarded to Carnegie Mellon University (PI: Presto, A) and a sub-award to Colorado State University (PI: Magzamen, S.). Acknowledgments
Funding Information:
We would like to thank Travis Sondergrath and Anna Molter for obtaining study data and Bryan Hubbell and Neal Fann (US EPA) for their insight and guidance. Mortality data were provided by the State Health Data Center, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Health specifically disclaims responsibility for any analyses, interpretations or conclusions.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Springer Nature B.V.
PY - 2020/8/1
Y1 - 2020/8/1
N2 - Black carbon (BC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are components of fine particulate matter associated with adverse health outcomes. However, limited work has examined the effects of PM constituents on mortality risk. Our multiple regression analysis evaluated the association of estimated neighborhood-level average fine particulate matter (PM2.5), BC, and PAH concentrations for 2013 obtained from local-scale land use regression models with 2007–2011 census tract-level age-adjusted non-accidental, cardiovascular, pulmonary, cancer, and other mortality rates in Allegheny County, PA. Models were further adjusted for census tract-level race, education, and health insurance status. In our adjusted models, estimated pollutant concentrations were not consistently associated with mortality. Only one model’s effect estimate did not include the null value, although the relationship was opposite of our original hypothesis. An interquartile range (0.25 μg/m3) increase in BC concentration was associated with a 5.9% (95% CI − 11.07, − 0.36%) decrease in log-transformed cancer mortality. However, in all mortality categories, education and health insurance covariates had a robust association with outcomes. We did not find a consistent relationship between pollutant exposures and age-adjusted mortality rates in Allegheny County, PA. However, having health insurance and having greater than a high school diploma were associated with lower mortality risk.
AB - Black carbon (BC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are components of fine particulate matter associated with adverse health outcomes. However, limited work has examined the effects of PM constituents on mortality risk. Our multiple regression analysis evaluated the association of estimated neighborhood-level average fine particulate matter (PM2.5), BC, and PAH concentrations for 2013 obtained from local-scale land use regression models with 2007–2011 census tract-level age-adjusted non-accidental, cardiovascular, pulmonary, cancer, and other mortality rates in Allegheny County, PA. Models were further adjusted for census tract-level race, education, and health insurance status. In our adjusted models, estimated pollutant concentrations were not consistently associated with mortality. Only one model’s effect estimate did not include the null value, although the relationship was opposite of our original hypothesis. An interquartile range (0.25 μg/m3) increase in BC concentration was associated with a 5.9% (95% CI − 11.07, − 0.36%) decrease in log-transformed cancer mortality. However, in all mortality categories, education and health insurance covariates had a robust association with outcomes. We did not find a consistent relationship between pollutant exposures and age-adjusted mortality rates in Allegheny County, PA. However, having health insurance and having greater than a high school diploma were associated with lower mortality risk.
KW - Air pollution
KW - Black carbon (BC)
KW - Cardiovascular
KW - Mortality
KW - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
KW - Respiratory
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U2 - 10.1007/s11869-020-00853-3
DO - 10.1007/s11869-020-00853-3
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85087571019
SN - 1873-9318
VL - 13
SP - 893
EP - 908
JO - Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health
JF - Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health
IS - 8
ER -