In addition to harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, air pollution contains tiny particles that have been linked to health problems, including cardiovascular disease and asthma. Most studies have analyzed the potential health effects of larger-sized particulate matter (PM), such as particles less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5). Now, researchers report in Environmental Science & Technology Letters that particles with diameters less than 1 μm (PM1) are even more strongly correlated with cardiovascular disease.
To better understand air pollution, a nationwide PM1 monitoring campaign was recently performed in China. Zhaomin Dong, Maigeng Zhou and colleagues analyzed the data, which came from 65 Chinese cities, to determine if PM1 exposure correlated with the number of non-accidental deaths in each city during the same time period. They found that for every 10 μg/m3 increase in PM1, there was a 0.29% increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which was 21% higher than the risk related to PM2.5 (0.24%). The finer PM1 could more easily deposit in the lungs and circulation than larger particles, which might explain the increased health risks, the researchers say.
###
The authors acknowledge funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Fundamental Research Project of Beihang University.
The paper's abstract will be available on January 29 at 8 a.m. Eastern time here: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.9b00735
For more research news, journalists and public information officers are encouraged to apply for complimentary press registration for the ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Exposition in Philadelphia.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS' mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. The Society is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a specialist in scientific information solutions (including SciFinder® and STN®), its CAS division powers global research, discovery and innovation. ACS' main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.
Journal
Environmental Science & Technology Letters