Title
Association between mortality and indicators of traffic-related air pollution in the Netherlands: A cohort study
Author
Hoek, G.
Brunekreef, B.
Goldbohm, S.
Fischer, P.
van den Brandt, P.A.
Publication year
2002
Abstract
Background: Long-term exposure to particulate matter air pollution has been associated with increased cardiopulmonary mortality in the USA. We aimed to assess the relation between traffic-related air pollution and mortality in participants of the Netherlands Cohort study on Diet and Cancer (NLCS), an ongoing study. Methods: We investigated a random sample of 5000 people from the full cohort of the NLCS study (age 55-69 years) from 1986 to 1994. Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollutants (black smoke and nitrogen dioxide) was estimated for the 1986 home address. Exposure was characterised with the measured regional and urban background concentration and an indicator variable for living near major roads. The association between exposure to air pollution and (cause specific) mortality was assessed with Cox's proportional hazards models, with adjustment for potential confounders. Findings: 489 (11%) of 4492 people with data died during the follow-up period. Cardiopulmonary mortality was associated with living near a major road (relative risk 1.95, 95% CI 1.09-3.52) and, less consistently, with the estimated ambient background concentration (1.34, 0.68-2.64). The relative risk for living near a major road was 1.41 (0.94-2.12) for total deaths. Non-cardiopulmonary, non-lung cancer deaths were unrelated to air pollution (1.03, 0.54-1.96 for living near a major road). Interpretation: Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution may shorten life expectancy.
Subject
Toxicology
Food and Chemical Risk Analysis
nitrogen dioxide
adult
aged
air pollutant
air pollution indicator
article
cohort analysis
controlled study
exhaust gas
female
heart disease
human
lung cancer
lung disease
major clinical study
male
mortality
Netherlands
priority journal
smoke
Aged
Cohort Studies
Environmental Health
Female
Hazardous Substances
Humans
Life Expectancy
Male
Middle Aged
Netherlands
Prospective Studies
Respiratory Tract Diseases
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Socioeconomic Factors
Vehicle Emissions
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http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:6e999660-6d11-49af-8e21-9f22e62683bc
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(02)11280-3
TNO identifier
236740
ISSN
0140-6736
Source
Lancet, 360 (9341), 1203-1209
Document type
article