AIR-POLLUTION AND MORTALITY - RESULTS FROM A STUDY OF SANTIAGO, CHILE

In 1986, the U.S. EPA issued an air quality standard for particulate m atter that included only particulates below 10 microns in diameter(PM( 10)). Unfortunately, epidemiological research investigating the health effects associated with PM(10) has been limited by the lack of availa ble daily data from outdoor monitoring stations. Evidence of high conc entrations of PM(10) in Eastern Europe and in metropolitan areas such as Mexico City and Santiago, Chile underscores the need to evaluate th e association between air pollution and mortality. Over the last few y ears, daily measures of ambient PM(10) have been collected in Santiago . Our analysis examines the relationship between PM(10) and daily mort ality between 1989 and 1998. In addition to total daily mortality, the data were compiled to record total mortality for all males, all femal es, and those over 65, and mortality from either respirator), disease or cardiovascular disease. Multiple regression analysis was used to ex plain mortality, with particular attention to controlling for the infl uence of season and temperature. The results suggest a strong associat ion between PM(10) and all of the alternative measures of mortality. T he association persists after controlling for daily minimum temperatur e and binary variables indicating temperature extremes, the day of the week, the month, and the year. Additional sensitivity analyses sugges t a fairly robust relationship. In general, a 10 mu g/m(3) change in d aily PM(10) was associated with a 1% increase in mortality. This relat ive risk is consistent with the results of recent studies undertaken i n the United States.