Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1694840152121.pdf (Malta)
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Christoper Fearne, MP.

,, Raymond Scic1mla Skrivan ta1-Kamra Geospatialllealth 3(2}, 2009, !J/J.
257-263 Long-term exposure cardio-respiratory mortality in Brisbane, Australia to gaseous air pollutants and Xiao Yu Wang', Wenbiao Hu', Shilu Tong' 'School of Public Health and Institute o( Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, I<eh;in Grove, Qld.

4059, Australia; 'School o( Po!Ju!atiMt Health, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, Qld 4029, Australia Abstract.
This study examines the association of long~ term exposure to gaseous air pollution with cardio-respiratory mortality in Brisbane, Australia, in the period 1996-2004.

The pollutant concentrations were estimated using geo graphical information system (GIS} techniques at the statistical local area (SLA) level.
The generalized estimating equa tions .model was used to investigate the impact of nitrogen dioxide {N0 2 ), ozone (03 ) and sulphur dioxide {S0 2 ) on mortality dnc to cardio-respiratory disease after adjusting for a range of potential confounders.

An increase of 4.

7% (95% confidence interval ::: 0.7-8.9%) in cardio-respiratory mortality for 1 part per billion {ppb) increment in annual average concentration of S02 was estimated.
However, there was no significant association between long-term expo sures to N0 2 or 0 3 and death clue to cardio-respiratory disease.

The results indicate that the annual average concen tration of S02 is associated with cardio-respiratory mortality at the SLA leve.J and this assoclMion appears to vary with the geographical area.

Keywords: cardio-respiratory mortality, air P?llution, nitrogen cliox.icle, ozone, sulphur dioxide, spatial analysis, Australia.
Introduction Air pollution is ranked by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the top ten con tributors to the global burden of disease and injury.

Exposure to gaseous air pollutants, even at a low level, has been associated with cardio-respi ratory diseases (Veda I et a!., 2003 ).
Most recent epidemiological studies of air pollution have used time-series analyses to explore the relationship between daily mortality or morbidity and daily ambient air pollution concentrations based on the same day or previous days (I-Iajat ct al., 2.007).

Cor.responding a\1thor: Shilu Tong School of Public Health and Institute of Health and Bio11.1edicallnnova1iou Queensland tluiversity of rfl::chnology Kelvin Grove, QJd.

4059, Austral in Tel.


~61 7 3138 974.5; Fax -1-61 7 3138 3369 E-mail: s.tong@qut.cdu.au However, most of the previous studies have exam ined the association between air pollution and health outcomes using air pollution data from a single monitoring site) or average values from ·a few monitoring sites, to represent the whole popu lation of dre study area.
In fact, for a metropolitan city, ambient air pollution levels may differ signifi cantly among different areas and there is increas ing concern that the relationships between air pol lution and mortality may vary with geographical area (Chen et al., 2.007).

Additionally, some stud ies have indicated that socio-economic statns can act as a confounding factor rvhe.n investigating the relation between geographical location and health (Scoggins et al., 2004).
This study examines the spatial variation in the relationship between long-term exposure to gaseous including nitrogen dioxide (N0 2), air pollutants - ozone (01) and sulphur dioxide (50 2) -·and cardio respiratory mortality in Brisbane, Australia, during the period 1996-2004. ,, I