IS THERE A CAUSAL ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EXCESS MORTALITY AND EXPOSURE TO PM-10 AIR-POLLUTION - ADDITIONAL ANALYSES BY LOCATION, YEAR, SEASON,AND CAUSE OF DEATH

We examined the association between exposure to PM-10 air pollution an d daily mortality in Utah County, Utah, for 1985-1992. We confirmed th e previous finding that exposure to fine particulate air pollution (pa rticulate diameter of less than or equal to 10 mu m) in amounts of 50 mu g/m(3) increased daily mortality by 4%. The potential importance o f this observation led us to test the association more rigorously by a ssessing rate ratios (RR) of PM-10 for year, season, and location at t ime of death. For individual years there was no statistically signific ant association between increased mortality and exposure to PM-10 air pollution. The strongest mortality effect was seen in the spring, not the winter. The largest numeric contribution to excess mortality was f rom individuals age 75+ yr dying in a hospital, and the largest RR was for individuals ages 15-59 yr dying at home, primarily of cancer. The se findings do not support a causal association between exposure to PM -10 air pollution and daily mortality.