The impacts of reduction in ambient fine particulate air pollution on natural-cause mortality in Taiwan.

Abstract

Many epidemiologic studies have reported an association between high concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and increased mortality rates. Concurrently an association between decreased concentration of these airborne PM_2.5 pollutants and a decline in mortality frequency was noted in certain investigations globally; however, only a very few of these studies were conducted in Asia. Taiwan was found to exhibit a 30% decline in ambient PM_2.5 levels over the last 20 years. The aim of this ecological investigation was to examine the contribution of annual reductions in ambient PM_2.5 to changes in age-standardized natural-cause mortality rates (ASRs) in 65 townships in Taiwan from 2006 to 2020 controlling for lung cancer mortality rate, physician density, and annual household income. Data demonstrated a 0.9/10⁵ fall in adjusted ASR for every 10 ug/m³ reduction in mean annual PM_2.5 level in Taiwan during this 14-year period, suggesting a significant association between reductions in ambient PM_2.5 levels and decreases in natural-cause mortality rates.