Low-Concentration PM 2.5 and Mortality: Estimating Acute and Chronic Effects in a Population-Based Study

• DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1409111
• Publication Date: 2015-06-04T12:17:52Z
• Authors: Liuhua Shi; Antonella Zanobetti; Itai Kloog; Brent A. Coull; Petros Koutrakis; Steven J. Melly; Joel D. Schwartz
• Keywords: Male; 330; Research; 610; 01 natural sciences; United States; 3. Good health; 13. Climate action; Air Pollution; Humans; Female; Particulate Matter; Public Health; Mortality; United States Environmental Protection Agency; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Both short- and long-term exposures to fine particulate matter (≤ 2.5 μm; PM2.5) are associated with mortality. However, whether the associations exist at levels below new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards (12 μg/m3 of annual average PM2.5, 35 daily) is unclear. In addition, it not clear results from previous time series studies (fit in larger cities) cohort convenience samples) generalizable.