Monday, June 6, 2011

Nitrogen dioxide, a large contributor to the p...Image via WikipediaShort Term Effects of Nitrogen Dioxide on Mortality and Susceptibility Factors in Ten Italian Cities: the EpiAir Study (33 page pdf, Monica Chiusolo, Ennio Cadum, Massimo Stafoggia, Claudia Galassi, Giovanna Berti, Annunziata Faustini, Luigi Bisanti, Maria Angela Vigotti, Maria Patrizia Dessì, Achille Cernigliaro, Sandra Mallone, Barbara Pacelli, Sante Minerba, Lorenzo Simonato and Francesco Forastiere on behalf of the EpiAir collaborative Group, Environmental Health Perspectives, May 17, 2011)

Today’s review article assessed the relationship between NO2 and deaths in 10 Italian cities. A significant link was found with a time lag of under 5 days, and this was independent of ozone and particulate matter which are known to also be a cause of mortality.

Key Quotes:

“Several epidemiological studies have indicated that NO2 may be a more relevant health based exposure indicator than particulate matter ..Based on these observations, the US EPA has recently proposed to strengthen the nitrogen dioxide air quality standard that protects public health”

“We collected mortality data for 10 Italian cities (Bologna, Cagliari, Florence, Mestre-Venice, Milan, Palermo, Pisa, Rome, Taranto and Turin) accounting for about 12% of the total Italian population ..We selected 276,205 subjects aged 35 years or more”

“Overall, associations were strongest for exposures lagged 0-5 days, and stronger in the warm than in the cold season. Associations with NO2 appeared to be independent of PM10 and independent of ozone exposure during the warm season”

“this study confirms a clear association between short term exposure to NO2 and natural mortality and supports increased susceptibility among people suffering from chronic cardiovascular conditions and diabetes”
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