Premature Deaths Attributable to Long-term Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter in the Republic of Korea.
10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e251
- Author:
Jong Hun KIM
1
;
In Hwan OH
;
Jae Hyun PARK
;
Hae Kwan CHEONG
Author Information
1. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea. hkcheong@skku.edu
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Particulate Matter;
Premature Deaths;
Mortality;
Air Pollution;
Air Quality
- MeSH:
Aging;
Air Pollution;
Bronchi;
Budgets;
Cause of Death;
Cohort Studies;
Environmental Health;
Garbage;
Korea;
Lung;
Mortality;
Mortality, Premature*;
Myocardial Ischemia;
North America;
Particulate Matter*;
Prospective Studies;
Republic of Korea*;
Risk Factors;
Stroke;
Trachea
- From:Journal of Korean Medical Science
2018;33(37):e251-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the major environmental health risk factor in Korea. Exposure to PM2.5 has been a growing public concern nationwide. With the rapid aging of the Korean population, the health effects attributable to long-term exposure to PM2.5 were expected to increase further in the future. We aimed to estimate premature deaths attributable to long-term exposure to ambient PM(2.5) in Korea. METHODS: A modelled estimation of long-term exposure to PM2.5 was used to calculate the nationwide exposure level. Hazard ratios of long-term exposure to PM2.5 were obtained from a large prospective cohort study in North America. Modified cause of death (CoD) data, which applied the garbage code reclassification algorithm, were used to calculate premature deaths attributable to long-term exposure to PM2.5. RESULTS: From 1990 to 2013, the average population-weighted PM2.5 concentration in Korea was 30.2 μg/m3. The estimated number of premature deaths was 17,203 (95% confidence interval [CI], 11,056–22,772). The most common CoD was ischemic stroke (5,382; 3,101–7,403), followed by cancer of trachea, bronchus, and lung (4,958; 2,857–6,820), hemorrhagic stroke (3,452; 1,989–4,748), and ischemic heart disease (3,432; 1,383–5,358). CONCLUSION: Premature deaths due to long-term exposure to PM2.5 accounted for 6.4% of all deaths in Korea. However, individual efforts alone cannot prevent the effects of air pollution. This disease burden study can serve as a basis for the establishment of government policies and budgets and can be used to assess the effectiveness of environmental health policies.
