Impact of a 10-year shift in ambient air quality on mortality in Canada: a causal analysis of multiple pollutants.

Background: The impact of past air quality improvements on health and equity at low pollution levels near the revised WHO air quality guidelines remains largely unknown. Less is known about the influence of simultaneous reductions in multiple major pollutants. Leveraging real-world improvements in air quality across Canada, we sought to directly evaluate their health benefits by quantifying the impact of a joint shift in three criteria pollutants on mortality in a national cohort.

Airborne ultrafine particle concentrations and brain cancer incidence in Canada's two largest cities.

Background: Malignant brain tumours are rare, but are important to study because survival rates are low and few modifiable risk factors have been identified. Existing evidence suggests that outdoor ultrafine particles (UFPs; particulate matter < 100 nm; sometimes referred to as nanoparticles) can deposit in the brain and could encourage initiation and progression of cancerous tumours, but epidemiological data are limited.

Methods: High-resolution estimates of outdoor UFP concentrations and size were linked to residential locations of approximately 1.

Effect modification by statin use status on the association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and cardiovascular mortality.

Background: Numerous studies have linked fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to increased cardiovascular mortality. Less is known how the PM2.

Mortality attributable to PM from wildland fires in California from 2008 to 2018.

In California, wildfire risk and severity have grown substantially in the last several decades. Research has characterized extensive adverse health impacts from exposure to wildfire-attributable fine particulate matter (PM), but few studies have quantified long-term outcomes, and none have used a wildfire-specific chronic dose-response mortality coefficient. Here, we quantified the mortality burden for PM exposure from California fires from 2008 to 2018 using Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system wildland fire PM estimates.

Long-Term Exposure to Low-Level and Mortality: Investigation of Heterogeneity by Harmonizing Analyses in Large Cohort Studies in Canada, United States, and Europe.

Background: Studies across the globe generally reported increased mortality risks associated with particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter () exposure with large heterogeneity in the magnitude of reported associations and the shape of concentration-response functions (CRFs). We aimed to evaluate the impact of key study design factors (including confounders, applied exposure model, population age, and outcome definition) on effect estimates by harmonizing analyses on three previously published large studies in Canada [Mortality-Air Pollution Associations in Low Exposure Environments (MAPLE), 1991-2016], the United States (Medicare, 2000-2016), and Europe [Effects of Low-Level Air Pollution: A Study in Europe (ELAPSE), 2000-2016] as much as possible.

Methods: We harmonized the study populations to individuals years of age, applied the same satellite-derived exposure estimates, and selected the same sets of potential confounders and the same outcome.

Air pollution deaths attributable to fossil fuels: observational and modelling study.

Objectives: To estimate all cause and cause specific deaths that are attributable to fossil fuel related air pollution and to assess potential health benefits from policies that replace fossil fuels with clean, renewable energy sources.

Design: Observational and modelling study.

Methods: An updated atmospheric composition model, a newly developed relative risk model, and satellite based data were used to determine exposure to ambient air pollution, estimate all cause and disease specific mortality, and attribute them to emission categories.

Daily Summer Temperatures and Hospitalization for Acute Cardiovascular Events: Impact of Outdoor PM 2.5 Oxidative Potential on Observed Associations Across Canada.

Background: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the health impacts of both outdoor fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.5 ) and thermal stress. However, it is not clear how the oxidative potential of PM 2.

Reversal of trends in global fine particulate matter air pollution.

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM) is the world's leading environmental health risk factor. Quantification is needed of regional contributions to changes in global PM exposure. Here we interpret satellite-derived PM estimates over 1998-2019 and find a reversal of previous growth in global PM air pollution, which is quantitatively attributed to contributions from 13 regions.

Air pollution and the sequelae of COVID-19 patients: A multistate analysis.

Importance: Recent evidence links air pollution to the severity COVID-19 symptoms and to death from the disease. To date, however, few studies have assessed whether air pollution affects the sequelae to more severe states or recovery from COVID-19 in a cohort with individual data.

Objective: To assess how air pollution affects the transition to more severe COVID-19 states or to recovery from COVID-19 infection in a cohort with detailed patient information.

Using Parametric g-Computation to Estimate the Effect of Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution on Mortality Risk and Simulate the Benefits of Hypothetical Policies: The Canadian Community Health Survey Cohort (2005 to 2015).

Background: Numerous epidemiological studies have documented the adverse health impact of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter [particulate matter in aerodynamic diameter ()] on mortality even at relatively low levels. However, methodological challenges remain to consider potential regulatory intervention's complexity and provide actionable evidence on the predicted benefits of interventions. We propose the parametric g-computation as an alternative analytical approach to such challenges.

Air pollution and meteorology as risk factors for COVID-19 death in a cohort from Southern California.

Background: Recent evidence links ambient air pollution to COVID-19 incidence, severity, and death, but few studies have analyzed individual-level mortality data with high quality exposure models.

Methods: We sought to assess whether higher air pollution exposures led to greater risk of death during or after hospitalization in confirmed COVID-19 cases among patients who were members of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) healthcare system (N=21,415 between 06-01-2020 and 01-31-2022 of whom 99.85 % were unvaccinated during the study period).

Impact of lowering fine particulate matter from major emission sources on mortality in Canada: A nationwide causal analysis.

Emissions of fine particulate matter (PM) from human activities have been linked to substantial disease burdens, but evidence regarding how reducing PM at its sources would improve public health is sparse. We followed a population-based cohort of 2.7 million adults across Canada from 2007 through 2016.

Chronic Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter Increases Mortality Through Pathways of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disease: Insights From a Large Mediation Analysis.

Background Long-term exposure to outdoor fine particulate matter (PM) is the leading environmental risk factor for premature mortality worldwide. Characterizing important pathways through which PM increases individuals' mortality risk can clarify the PM-mortality relationship and identify possible points of interventions. Recent evidence has linked PM to the onset of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but to what extent these associations contribute to the effect of PM on mortality remains poorly understood.

Long-term Exposure to Oxidant Gases and Mortality: Effect Modification by PM 2.5 Transition Metals and Oxidative Potential.

Background: Populations are simultaneously exposed to outdoor concentrations of oxidant gases (i.e., O 3 and NO 2 ) and fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.

Longest sediment flows yet measured show how major rivers connect efficiently to deep sea.

Here we show how major rivers can efficiently connect to the deep-sea, by analysing the longest runout sediment flows (of any type) yet measured in action on Earth. These seafloor turbidity currents originated from the Congo River-mouth, with one flow travelling >1,130 km whilst accelerating from 5.2 to 8.

Air Pollution and Pediatric Respiratory Hospitalizations: Effect Modification by Particle Constituents and Oxidative Potential.

Outdoor particulate and gaseous air pollutants impair respiratory health in children, and these associations may be influenced by particle composition. To examine whether associations between short-term variations in fine particulate air pollution, oxidant gases, and respiratory hospitalizations in children are modified by particle constituents (metals and sulfur) or oxidative potential. We conducted a case-crossover study of 10,500 children (0-17 years of age) across Canada.

Long-term exposure to wildfires and cancer incidence in Canada: a population-based observational cohort study.

Background: Wildfires emit many carcinogenic pollutants that contaminate air, water, terrestrial, and indoor environments. However, little is known about the relationship between exposure to wildfires and cancer risk. We aimed to assess the associations between residential exposure to wildfires and the incidence of several cancer outcomes (lung cancer, brain cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukaemia) in Canada.

Associations of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and its constituents with cardiovascular mortality: A prospective cohort study in China.

Background: Few studies have evaluated long-term cardiovascular effects of fine particulate matter (PM) and its constituents in countries with high air pollution levels. We aimed to investigate the associations of long-term exposure to PM and constituents with cardiovascular mortality in China.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 90,672 adults ≥ 18 years from 2010 to 2017 in 161 districts/counties across China.

Differential Mortality Risks Associated With PM2.5 Components: A Multi-Country, Multi-City Study.

Background: The association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and mortality widely differs between as well as within countries. Differences in PM2.

Cardiopulmonary Mortality and Fine Particulate Air Pollution by Species and Source in a National U.S. Cohort.

The purpose of this study was to estimate cardiopulmonary mortality associations for long-term exposure to PM species and sources (i.e., components) within the U.

Designing health impact functions to assess marginal changes in outdoor fine particulate matter.

Estimating health benefits from improvements in ambient air quality requires the characterization of the magnitude and shape of the association between marginal changes in exposure and marginal changes in risk, and its uncertainty. Several attempts have been made to do this, each requiring different assumptions. These include the Log-Linear(LL), IntegratedExposure-Response(IER), and GlobalExposureMortalityModel(GEMM).

Association of Sulfur, Transition Metals, and the Oxidative Potential of Outdoor with Acute Cardiovascular Events: A Case-Crossover Study of Canadian Adults.

Background: We do not currently understand how spatiotemporal variations in the composition of fine particulate air pollution [fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ()] affects population health risks. However, recent evidence suggests that joint concentrations of transition metals and sulfate may influence the oxidative potential (OP) of and associated health impacts.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to evaluate how of transition metals/OP and sulfur content in outdoor influence associations with acute cardiovascular events.