Ambient air pollution and adult asthma incidence in six European cohorts (ESCAPE).

Background: Short-term exposure to air pollution has adverse effects among patients with asthma, but whether long-term exposure to air pollution is a cause of adult-onset asthma is unclear.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the association between air pollution and adult onset asthma.

Methods: Asthma incidence was prospectively assessed in six European cohorts.

Natural-cause mortality and long-term exposure to particle components: an analysis of 19 European cohorts within the multi-center ESCAPE project.

Background: Studies have shown associations between mortality and long-term exposure to particulate matter air pollution. Few cohort studies have estimated the effects of the elemental composition of particulate matter on mortality.

Objectives: Our aim was to study the association between natural-cause mortality and long-term exposure to elemental components of particulate matter.

Development of land use regression models for elemental, organic carbon, PAH, and hopanes/steranes in 10 ESCAPE/TRANSPHORM European study areas.

Land use regression (LUR) models have been used to model concentrations of mainly traffic-related air pollutants (nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM) mass or absorbance). Few LUR models are published of PM composition, whereas the interest in health effects related to particle composition is increasing. The aim of our study was to evaluate LUR models of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), hopanes/steranes, and elemental and organic carbon (EC/OC) content of PM2.

Cross-sectional associations between air pollution and chronic bronchitis: an ESCAPE meta-analysis across five cohorts.

Background: This study aimed to assess associations of outdoor air pollution on prevalence of chronic bronchitis symptoms in adults in five cohort studies (Asthma-E3N, ECRHS, NSHD, SALIA, SAPALDIA) participating in the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE) project.

Methods: Annual average particulate matter (PM(10), PM(2.5), PM(absorbance), PM(coarse)), NO(2), nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) and road traffic measures modelled from ESCAPE measurement campaigns 2008-2011 were assigned to home address at most recent assessments (1998-2011).

Performance of multi-city land use regression models for nitrogen dioxide and fine particles.

Background: Land use regression (LUR) models have been developed mostly to explain intraurban variations in air pollution based on often small local monitoring campaigns. Transferability of LUR models from city to city has been investigated, but little is known about the performance of models based on large numbers of monitoring sites covering a large area.

Objectives: We aimed to develop European and regional LUR models and to examine their transferability to areas not used for model development.

Association of ambient air pollution with the prevalence and incidence of COPD.

The role of air pollution in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains uncertain. The aim was to assess the impact of chronic exposure to air pollution on COPD in four cohorts using the standardised ESCAPE exposure estimates. Annual average particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and road traffic exposure were assigned to home addresses using land-use regression models.

Effects of long-term exposure to air pollution on natural-cause mortality: an analysis of 22 European cohorts within the multicentre ESCAPE project.

Background: Few studies on long-term exposure to air pollution and mortality have been reported from Europe. Within the multicentre European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE), we aimed to investigate the association between natural-cause mortality and long-term exposure to several air pollutants.

Methods: We used data from 22 European cohort studies, which created a total study population of 367,251 participants.

Ecological study on hospitalizations for cancer, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases in the industrial area of Etang-de-Berre in the South of France.

The Etang-de-Berre area is a large industrialized area in the South of France, exposing 300,000 inhabitants to the plumes of its industries. The possible associated health risks are of the highest concern to the population, who asked for studies investigating their health status. A geographical ecological study based on standardized hospitalizations ratios for cancer, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases was carried out over the 2004-2007 period.

Associations between fine and coarse particles and mortality in Mediterranean cities: results from the MED-PARTICLES project.

Background: Few studies have investigated the independent health effects of different size fractions of particulate matter (PM) in multiple locations, especially in Europe.

Objectives: We estimated the short-term effects of PM with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10), ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.

Development of land use regression models for particle composition in twenty study areas in Europe.

Land Use Regression (LUR) models have been used to describe and model spatial variability of annual mean concentrations of traffic related pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). No models have yet been published of elemental composition. As part of the ESCAPE project, we measured the elemental composition in both the PM10 and PM2.

Evaluation of land use regression models for NO2 and particulate matter in 20 European study areas: the ESCAPE project.

Land use regression models (LUR) frequently use leave-one-out-cross-validation (LOOCV) to assess model fit, but recent studies suggested that this may overestimate predictive ability in independent data sets. Our aim was to evaluate LUR models for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM) components exploiting the high correlation between concentrations of PM metrics and NO2. LUR models have been developed for NO2, PM2.

Chronic burden of near-roadway traffic pollution in 10 European cities (APHEKOM network).

Recent epidemiological research suggests that near road traffic-related pollution may cause chronic disease, as well as exacerbation of related pathologies, implying that the entire "chronic disease progression" should be attributed to air pollution, no matter what the proximate cause was. We estimated the burden of childhood asthma attributable to air pollution in 10 European cities by calculating the number of cases of 1) asthma caused by near road traffic-related pollution, and 2) acute asthma events related to urban air pollution levels. We then expanded our approach to include coronary heart diseases in adults.

Development of Land Use Regression models for PM(2.5), PM(2.5) absorbance, PM(10) and PM(coarse) in 20 European study areas; results of the ESCAPE project.

Land Use Regression (LUR) models have been used increasingly for modeling small-scale spatial variation in air pollution concentrations and estimating individual exposure for participants of cohort studies. Within the ESCAPE project, concentrations of PM(2.5), PM(2.

A simple indicator to rapidly assess the short-term impact of heat waves on mortality within the French heat warning system.

We propose a simple method to provide a rapid and robust estimate of the short-term impacts of heat waves on mortality, to be used for communication within a heat warning system. The excess mortality during a heat wave is defined as the difference between the observed mortality over the period and the observed mortality over the same period during the N preceding years. This method was tested on 19 French cities between 1973 and 2007.

Mapping of inflammatory bowel disease in northern France: spatial variations and relation to affluence.

Background: Geographic variations in the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may reflect variations in the distribution of environmental etiologic factors. We assessed spatial variation in the incidence of IBD in northern France and analyzed its association with a deprivation index.

Methods: All cases of IBD included in the EPIMAD registry between 1990 and 2003 were extracted.

Short term effects of air pollution on hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases in eight French cities: the PSAS program.

Introduction: Short term associations between air pollution indicators and hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases have been suggested by epidemiological and clinical studies. The present study aims at estimating the association between particles with diameter <10 microm (PM(10)), nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) and ozone and hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases in eight French cities during the 1998-2003 period.

Methods: The daily number of hospitalizations in each city was extracted from the French hospital information system (PMSI) for cardiovascular diseases, cardiac diseases, ischemic heart diseases and stroke.

The relation between temperature, ozone, and mortality in nine French cities during the heat wave of 2003.

Background: During August 2003, record high temperatures were observed across Europe, and France was the country most affected. During this period, elevated ozone concentrations were measured all over the country. Questions were raised concerning the contribution of O3 to the health impact of the summer 2003 heat wave.

Performance of several decision support tools for determining the need for systematic screening of childhood lead poisoning around industrial sites.

Background: Living around industrial sites may expose young children to lead and cause elevated blood lead levels (BLLs). Systematic screening for childhood lead poisoning is necessarily invasive but may be appropriate, depending on children's exposure levels. Our objective was to assess the performance of several decision support tools for determining the need for systematic BLL screening in children around industrial sites.

Influence of set-up conditions of exposure indicators on the estimate of short-term associations between urban pollution and mortality.

In the past few years many studies on air pollution and health based on time series have been carried out. Yet, this approach does not assess exposure to air pollution at an individual level but it is based on ambient concentrations measured by air quality monitoring networks. Questions on the estimates of exposure to pollutants have been raised, in particular the fact that background measuring stations only have been considered in the set up of pollution indicators.

Impact of the 2003 heatwave on all-cause mortality in 9 French cities.

Background: A heatwave occurred in France in August 2003, with an accompanying excess of all-cause mortality. This study quantifies this excess mortality and investigates a possible harvesting effect in the few weeks after the heatwave.

Methods: A time-series study using a Poisson regression model with regression splines to control for nonlinear confounders was used to analyze the correlation between heatwave variable and mortality in 9 French cities.

Short-term effects of air pollution on mortality in nine French cities: a quantitative summary.

Between 1990 and 1995, 9 French cities provided data on daily air pollution, total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and respiratory mortality. Personnel in individual cities performed Poisson regressions, controlling for trends in seasons, calendar effects, influenza epidemics, temperature, and humidity, to assess the short-term effects of air pollution. The authors describe results obtained from the quantitative pooling of these local analyses.