Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Environmental Health Perspectives logoLink to Environmental Health Perspectives
. 1999 Feb;107(2):149–154. doi: 10.1289/ehp.99107149

Air pollution and daily mortality in Seoul and Ulsan, Korea.

J T Lee 1, D Shin 1, Y Chung 1
PMCID: PMC1566318  PMID: 9924011

Abstract

The relationship between air pollution and daily mortality for the period 1991-1995 was examined in two Korean cities, Seoul and Ulsan. The observed concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2; mean = 28.7 ppb), ozone (O3; mean = 29.2 ppb), and total suspended particulates (TSP; mean = 82.3 microg/m3) during the study period were at levels below Korea's current ambient air quality standards. Daily death counts were regressed separately in the two cities, using Poisson regression on SO2, O3, and/or TSP controlling for variability in the weather and seasons. When considered singly in Poisson regression models controlling for seasonal variations and weather conditions, the nonaccidental mortality associated with a 50-ppb increment in a 3-day moving average of SO2 concentrations, including the concurrent day and the preceding 2 days, was 1.078 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.057-1.099] for Seoul and 1.051 (CI, 0.991-1.115) for Ulsan. The rate ratio was 1.051 (CI, 1.031-1.072) in Seoul and 0.999 (CI, 0. 961-1.039) in Ulsan per 100 microg/m3 for TSP, and 1.015 (CI, 1. 005-1.025) in Seoul and 1.020 (0.889-1.170) in Ulsan per 50 ppb for 1-hr maximum O3. When TSP was considered simultaneously with other pollutants, the TSP association was no longer significant. We observed independent pollution effects on daily mortality even after using various approaches to control for either weather or seasonal variables in the regression model. This study demonstrated increased mortality associated with air pollution at both SO2 and O3 levels below the current World Health Organization recommendations.

Full text

PDF
149

Images in this article

150Figure 1
on p.150
151Figure 2
on p.151
154Figure 3
on p.154

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bates D. V., Baker-Anderson M., Sizto R. Asthma attack periodicity: a study of hospital emergency visits in Vancouver. Environ Res. 1990 Feb;51(1):51–70. doi: 10.1016/s0013-9351(05)80182-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bates D. V. Health indices of the adverse effects of air pollution: the question of coherence. Environ Res. 1992 Dec;59(2):336–349. doi: 10.1016/s0013-9351(05)80040-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Borja-Aburto V. H., Loomis D. P., Bangdiwala S. I., Shy C. M., Rascon-Pacheco R. A. Ozone, suspended particulates, and daily mortality in Mexico City. Am J Epidemiol. 1997 Feb 1;145(3):258–268. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009099. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Burnett R. T., Dales R. E., Raizenne M. E., Krewski D., Summers P. W., Roberts G. R., Raad-Young M., Dann T., Brook J. Effects of low ambient levels of ozone and sulfates on the frequency of respiratory admissions to Ontario hospitals. Environ Res. 1994 May;65(2):172–194. doi: 10.1006/enrs.1994.1030. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dassen W., Brunekreef B., Hoek G., Hofschreuder P., Staatsen B., de Groot H., Schouten E., Biersteker K. Decline in children's pulmonary function during an air pollution episode. J Air Pollut Control Assoc. 1986 Nov;36(11):1223–1227. doi: 10.1080/00022470.1986.10466168. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dockery D. W., Pope C. A., 3rd, Xu X., Spengler J. D., Ware J. H., Fay M. E., Ferris B. G., Jr, Speizer F. E. An association between air pollution and mortality in six U.S. cities. N Engl J Med. 1993 Dec 9;329(24):1753–1759. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199312093292401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dockery D. W., Schwartz J., Spengler J. D. Air pollution and daily mortality: associations with particulates and acid aerosols. Environ Res. 1992 Dec;59(2):362–373. doi: 10.1016/s0013-9351(05)80042-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fairley D. The relationship of daily mortality to suspended particulates in Santa Clara County, 1980-1986. Environ Health Perspect. 1990 Nov;89:159–168. doi: 10.1289/ehp.9089159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Frischer T. M., Kuehr J., Pullwitt A., Meinert R., Forster J., Studnicka M., Koren H. Ambient ozone causes upper airways inflammation in children. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1993 Oct;148(4 Pt 1):961–964. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/148.4_Pt_1.961. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ito K., Thurston G. D., Hayes C., Lippmann M. Associations of London, England, daily mortality with particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and acidic aerosol pollution. Arch Environ Health. 1993 Jul-Aug;48(4):213–220. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1993.9940362. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Katsouyanni K., Pantazopoulou A., Touloumi G., Tselepidaki I., Moustris K., Asimakopoulos D., Poulopoulou G., Trichopoulos D. Evidence for interaction between air pollution and high temperature in the causation of excess mortality. Arch Environ Health. 1993 Jul-Aug;48(4):235–242. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1993.9940365. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Katsouyanni K., Touloumi G., Spix C., Schwartz J., Balducci F., Medina S., Rossi G., Wojtyniak B., Sunyer J., Bacharova L. Short-term effects of ambient sulphur dioxide and particulate matter on mortality in 12 European cities: results from time series data from the APHEA project. Air Pollution and Health: a European Approach. BMJ. 1997 Jun 7;314(7095):1658–1663. doi: 10.1136/bmj.314.7095.1658. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kinney P. L., Ozkaynak H. Associations of daily mortality and air pollution in Los Angeles County. Environ Res. 1991 Apr;54(2):99–120. doi: 10.1016/s0013-9351(05)80094-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kinney P. L., Ware J. H., Spengler J. D. A critical evaluation of acute ozone epidemiology results. Arch Environ Health. 1988 Mar-Apr;43(2):168–173. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1988.9935847. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. LOGAN W. P. D. Mortality in the London fog incident, 1952. Lancet. 1953 Feb 14;1(6755):336–338. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(53)91012-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lipfert F. W., Wyzga R. E. Air pollution and mortality: issues and uncertainties. J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 1995 Dec;45(12):949–966. doi: 10.1080/10473289.1995.10467427. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mackenbach J. P., Looman C. W., Kunst A. E. Air pollution, lagged effects of temperature, and mortality: The Netherlands 1979-87. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1993 Apr;47(2):121–126. doi: 10.1136/jech.47.2.121. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ostro B., Sanchez J. M., Aranda C., Eskeland G. S. Air pollution and mortality: results from a study of Santiago, Chile. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol. 1996 Jan-Mar;6(1):97–114. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pope C. A., 3rd Respiratory hospital admissions associated with PM10 pollution in Utah, Salt Lake, and Cache Valleys. Arch Environ Health. 1991 Mar-Apr;46(2):90–97. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1991.9937434. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pope C. A., 3rd, Schwartz J., Ransom M. R. Daily mortality and PM10 pollution in Utah Valley. Arch Environ Health. 1992 May-Jun;47(3):211–217. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1992.9938351. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rogot E., Fabsitz R., Feinleib M. Daily variation in USA mortality. Am J Epidemiol. 1976 Feb;103(2):198–211. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112218. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Saldiva P. H., Pope C. A., 3rd, Schwartz J., Dockery D. W., Lichtenfels A. J., Salge J. M., Barone I., Bohm G. M. Air pollution and mortality in elderly people: a time-series study in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Arch Environ Health. 1995 Mar-Apr;50(2):159–163. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1995.9940893. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Schwartz J. Air pollution and daily mortality: a review and meta analysis. Environ Res. 1994 Jan;64(1):36–52. doi: 10.1006/enrs.1994.1005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Schwartz J., Dockery D. W. Increased mortality in Philadelphia associated with daily air pollution concentrations. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1992 Mar;145(3):600–604. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/145.3.600. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Schwartz J., Dockery D. W. Particulate air pollution and daily mortality in Steubenville, Ohio. Am J Epidemiol. 1992 Jan 1;135(1):12–25. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116195. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Schwartz J., Marcus A. Mortality and air pollution in London: a time series analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 1990 Jan;131(1):185–194. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115473. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Touloumi G., Katsouyanni K., Zmirou D., Schwartz J., Spix C., de Leon A. P., Tobias A., Quennel P., Rabczenko D., Bacharova L. Short-term effects of ambient oxidant exposure on mortality: a combined analysis within the APHEA project. Air Pollution and Health: a European Approach. Am J Epidemiol. 1997 Jul 15;146(2):177–185. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009249. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Verhoeff A. P., Hoek G., Schwartz J., van Wijnen J. H. Air pollution and daily mortality in Amsterdam. Epidemiology. 1996 May;7(3):225–230. doi: 10.1097/00001648-199605000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Xu X., Gao J., Dockery D. W., Chen Y. Air pollution and daily mortality in residential areas of Beijing, China. Arch Environ Health. 1994 Jul-Aug;49(4):216–222. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1994.9937470. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Environmental Health Perspectives are provided here courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

RESOURCES