Effect Modification of Heat-Related Mortality Risk by Air Pollutants in Shandong, China

Zhonghui Zhao Shandong Public Health Clinical Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China;
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;
Shandong University Climate Change and Health Center, Jinan, China;

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Jie Chu Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, Shandong Province, China;
Academy of Preventive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;

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Jie Ren Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, Shandong Province, China;
Academy of Preventive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;

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Chunxiao Xu Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, Shandong Province, China;
Academy of Preventive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;

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Xiaohui Xu Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, Shandong Province, China;
Academy of Preventive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;

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Yanwen Cao Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;
Shandong University Climate Change and Health Center, Jinan, China;

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Tamara Schikowski Department of Epidemiology, IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany;

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Qi Zhao Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;
Shandong University Climate Change and Health Center, Jinan, China;
Department of Epidemiology, IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany;

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Qiyong Liu Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China;

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Gongbo Chen Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

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Zilong Lu Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, Shandong Province, China;
Academy of Preventive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;

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Xiaolei Guo Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, Shandong Province, China;
Academy of Preventive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;

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Wei Ma Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;
Shandong University Climate Change and Health Center, Jinan, China;

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Haitao Wang Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;
Shandong University Climate Change and Health Center, Jinan, China;

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Jixiang Ma Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, Shandong Province, China;
Academy of Preventive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China;

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ABSTRACT.

Although studies have reported the modification effect of air pollutants on heat-related health risk, little is known on the modification effect among various particulate matter with different particle size on mortality. We aimed to investigate whether the associations of hot temperatures with daily mortality were modified by different air pollutant levels in Shandong Province, China. Daily data of air pollutants, meteorological factors, and mortality of 1,822 subdistricts in Shandong province from 2013 to 2018 were collected. We used a time-stratified case-crossover model with an interaction term between the cross-basis term for ambient temperature and the linear function of particulate matter ≤1 µm (PM1), PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone to obtain heat-mortality associations during the hot season. Results showed that the cumulative odds ratio of extreme heat on mortality over 0 to 10 days was 3.66 (95% CI: 3.10–4.31). The mortality risk during hot seasons was stronger at high air pollutant levels. The modification effect of particulate matters on heat-related mortality decreased by its aerodynamic diameter. Females and older adults over 75 years were more vulnerable to the modification effect of air pollutants, and significant differences were detected in the association between temperatures and mortality stratified by PM1 and PM2.5. Higher heat-related mortality risks were observed at high NO2 levels, especially for cardiorespiratory disease. The findings suggest that more consideration should be given to the combined effect of very fine particles and NO2 with ambient heat when developing healthcare strategies, and women and older adults should be given priority in health-related settings.

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Author Notes

Financial support: This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province in China (ZR2021QH318, ZR2023QH319) and the Shandong Excellent Young Scientists Fund Program (Overseas) (2022HWYQ-055).

Disclosure: Ethical approval for analysis of this deidentified data was granted by the Ethics Review Committee, School of Public Health, Shandong University (20120501). All the patient records involved were anonymized and de-identified before receiving.

Current contact information: Zhonghui Zhao, Shandong Public Health Clinical Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China, E-mail: zhao_zhonghui@126.com. Yanwen Cao, Qi Zhao, Wei Ma, and Haitao Wang, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China, and Shandong University Climate Change and Health Center, Jinan, China, E-mails: cywsdu@126.com, qi.zhao@sdu.edu.cn, weima@sdu.edu.cn, and wanghaitao@sdu.edu.cn. Jie Chu, Jie Ren, Chunxiao Xu, Xiaohui Xu, Zilong Lu, Xiaolei Guo, and Jixiang Ma, Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, China, and Academy of Preventive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China, E-mails: sdjn_chj@163.com, qdcdcrenjie@126.com, xuchunxiao919@163.com, lyynxxh@126.com, lzllzl22@163.com, guoxiaolei@126.com, and majix@163.com. Tamara Schikowski, Department of Epidemiology, IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany, E-mail: tamara.schikowski@iuf-duesseldorf.de. Qiyong Liu, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China, E-mail: liuqiyong@icdc.cn. Gongbo Chen, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, E-mail: chengb36@mail.sysu.edu.cn.

Address correspondence to Haitao Wang, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province 250012, China. E-mail: wanghaitao@sdu.edu.cn or Jixiang Ma, Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, China. E-mail: majix@163.com
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