Shigong Wang

The association between diurnal temperature range and emergency room admissions for cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and genitourinary disease among the elderly: A time series study

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the short-term effect of diurnal temperature range (DTR) on emergency room (ER) admissions among elderly adults in Beijing. METHODS After controlling the long-time and seasonal trend, weather, air pollution and other confounding factors, a semi-parametric generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the exposure-effect relationship between DTR and daily ER admissions among elderly adults with different lag structures from 2009 to 2011 in Beijing. We examined the effects of DTR for stratified groups by age and gender, and conducted the modifying effect of season on DTR to test the possible interaction. RESULTS Significant associations were found between DTR and four major causes of daily ER admissions among elderly adults in Beijing. A 1 °C increase in the 8-day moving average of DTR (lag 07) corresponded to an increase of 2.08% (95% CI: 0.88%-3.29%) in respiratory ER admissions and 2.14% (95% CI: 0.71%-3.59%) in digestive ER admissions. A 1 °C increase in the 3-day and 6-day moving average of DTR (lag 02 and lag 05) corresponded to a 0.76% (95% CI: 0.07%-1.46%) increase in cardiovascular ER admissions, and 1.81% (95% CI: 0.21%-3.45%) increase in genitourinary ER admissions, respectively. The people aged 75 years and older were associated more strongly with DTR than the 65-74 age group. The modifying effect of season on DTR was observed and it was various in four causes. CONCLUSIONS This study strengthens the evidence that DTR is an independent risk factor for ER admissions among elderly persons. Some prevention programs that target the elderly and other high risk subgroups for impending large temperature changes may reduce the impact of DTR on peoples health.

Short-Term Effects of Gaseous Pollutants and Particulate Matter on Daily Hospital Admissions for Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease in Lanzhou: Evidence from a Heavily Polluted City in China

Panel studies show a consistent association between increase in the cardiovascular hospitalizations with air pollutants in economically developed regions, but little evidence in less developed inland areas. In this study, a time-series analysis was used to examine the specific effects of major air pollutants [particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxides (NO2)] on daily hospital admissions for cardio-cerebrovascular diseases in Lanzhou, a heavily polluted city in China. We examined the effects of air pollutants for stratified groups by age and gender, and conducted the modifying effect of seasons on air pollutants to test the possible interaction. The significant associations were found between PM10, SO2 and NO2 and cardiac disease admissions, SO2 and NO2 were found to be associated with the cerebrovascular disease admissions. The elderly was associated more strongly with gaseous pollutants than younger. The modifying effect of seasons on air pollutants also existed. The significant effect of gaseous pollutants (SO2 and NO2) was found on daily hospital admissions even after adjustment for other pollutants except for SO2 on cardiac diseases. In a word, this study provides the evidence for the detrimental short-term health effects of urban gaseous pollutants on cardio-cerebrovascular diseases in Lanzhou.

Influence of different weather events on concentrations of particulate matter with different sizes in Lanzhou, China

The formation and development of weather events has a great impact on the diffusion, accumulation and transport of air pollutants, and causes great changes in the particulate pollution level. It is very important to study their influence on particulate pollution. Lanzhou is one of the most particulate-polluted cities in China and even in the world. Particulate matter (PM) including TSP, PM >10, PM2.5-10, PM2.5 and PM1.0 concentrations were simultaneously measured during 2005-2007 in Lanzhou to evaluate the influence of three kinds of weather events--dust, precipitation and cold front--on the concentrations of PM with different sizes and detect the temporal evolution. The main results are as follows: (1) the PM pollution in Lanzhou during dust events was very heavy and the rate of increase in the concentration of PM2.5-10 was the highest of the five kinds of particles. During dust-storm events, the highest peaks of the concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5 and PM1.0) occurred 3 hr later than those of coarse particles (PM>10 and PM2.5-10). (2) The major effect of precipitation events on PM is wet scavenging. The scavenging rates of particles were closely associated with the kinds of precipitation events. The scavenging rates of TSP, PM>10 and PM2.5-10 by convective precipitation were several times as high as those caused by frontal precipitation for the same precipitation amount, the reason being the different formation mechanism and precipitation characteristics of the two kinds of precipitation. Moreover, there exists a limiting value for the scavenging rates of particles by precipitation. (3) The major effect of cold-front events on particles is clearance. However, during cold-front passages, the PM concentrations could sometimes rise first and decrease afterwards, which is the critical difference in the influence of cold fronts on the concentrations of particulate pollutants vs. gaseous pollutants.

Impact of ambient temperature on morbidity and mortality: An overview of reviews

The objectives were (i) to conduct an overview of systematic reviews to summarize evidence from and evaluate the methodological quality of systematic reviews assessing the impact of ambient temperature on morbidity and mortality; and (ii) to reanalyse meta-analyses of cold-induced cardiovascular morbidity in different age groups. The registration number is PROSPERO-CRD42016047179. PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Global Health were systematically searched to identify systematic reviews. Two reviewers independently selected studies for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed quality. The Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of included systematic reviews. Estimates of morbidity and mortality risk in association with heat exposure, cold exposure, heatwaves, cold spells and diurnal temperature ranges (DTRs) were the primary outcomes. Twenty-eight systematic reviews were included in the overview of systematic reviews. (i) The median (interquartile range) AMSTAR scores were 7 (1.75) for quantitative reviews and 3.5 (1.75) for qualitative reviews. (ii) Heat exposure was identified to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory mortality, but was not found to have an impact on cardiovascular or cerebrovascular morbidity. (iii) Reanalysis of the meta-analyses indicated that cold-induced cardiovascular morbidity increased in youth and middle-age (RR=1.009, 95% CI: 1.004-1.015) as well as the elderly (RR=1.013, 95% CI: 1.007-1.018). (iv) The definitions of temperature exposure adopted by different studies included various temperature indicators and thresholds. In conclusion, heat exposure seemed to have an adverse effect on mortality and cold-induced cardiovascular morbidity increased in the elderly. Developing definitions of temperature exposure at the regional level may contribute to more accurate evaluations of the health effects of temperature.

Short-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Cardiac Arrhythmia: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

The objective was to assess the transient association between air pollution and cardiac arrhythmia. Five databases were searched for studies investigating the association between daily increases in air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and arrhythmia hospitalization or arrhythmia mortality. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Outcomes were analyzed via a random-effects model and reported as relative risk and 95% confidence interval. 25 studies satisfied our inclusion criteria and 23 contributed to the meta-analysis. Arrhythmia hospitalization or mortality were associated with increases in PM2.5 (RR = 1.015 per 10 μg/m3, 95% CI: 1.006–1.024), PM10 (RR = 1.009 per 10 μg/m3, 95% CI: 1.004–1.014), carbon monoxide (RR = 1.041 per 1 ppm, 95% CI: 1.017–1.065), nitrogen dioxide (RR = 1.036 per 10 ppb, 95% CI: 1.020–1.053), and sulfur dioxide (RR = 1.021 per 10 ppb, 95% CI: 1.003–1.039), but not ozone (RR = 1.012 per 10 ppb, 95% CI: 0.997–1.027). Both particulate and gaseous components, with the exception of ozone, have a temporal association with arrhythmia hospitalization or mortality. Compared with Europe and North America, a stronger association was noted in Asia.

Online monitoring of water-soluble ionic composition of PM10 during early summer over Lanzhou City

Lanzhou is one of the most aerosol-polluted cities in China. In this study, an online analyzer for Monitoring for AeRosols and GAses was deployed to measure major water-soluble inorganic ions in PM10 at 1-hour time resolution, and 923 samples were obtained from Apr 1 to May 24, 2011. During the field campaign, air pollution days were encountered with Air Quality Index more than 100 and daily average concentration of PM10 exceeding 150 microg/m3. Based on the variation of water-soluble ions and results of Positive Matrix Factorization 3.0 model execution, the air pollution days were classified as crustal species- or secondary aerosol-induced, and the different formation mechanisms of these two air pollution types were studied. During the crustal species pollution days, the content of Ca2+ increased and was about 2.3 times higher than the average on clear days, and the air parcel back trajectory was used to analyze the sources of crustal species. Data on sulfate, trace gases and meteorological factors were used to reveal the formation mechanism of secondary aerosol pollution. The sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) was derived from the 923 samples, and the SOR had high positive correlation with relative humidity in early summer in Lanzhou.

Characteristics of air pollution in different zones of Sichuan Basin, China

Sichuan Basin, located in southwest China, has been ranked as the fourth of heavily air polluted regions in China partly due to its deep mountain-basin topography. However, spatial-temporal distribution of air pollution over the basin is still unclear due to the lack of monitoring data and poor knowledge. Since January 2015, six criteria air pollutants began to be monitored in 20 cities across the basin. The measured data enable us to analyze the basin-wide spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of these air pollutants. Results revealed heavy air pollution in the bottom zone, medium in the slope zone, and light pollution in the edge zone of the Basin in terms of the altitudes of air quality monitoring stations across the Basin. The average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were 55.87μg/m3 and 86.49μg/m3 in the bottom, 33.76μg/m3 and 63.33μg/m3 in the slope, and 19.71μg/m3 and 35.06μg/m3 in the edge, respectively. In the bottom and slope of the basin, high PM2.5 concentration events occurred most frequently in winter. While in summer, ozone became primary pollutant. Among the six air pollutants, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 decrease dramatically with increasing altitude which was fitted by a nonlinear relationship between particulate matter (PM) concentrations and altitude. This relationship was validated by extinction coefficient profiles from CALIPSO observations and EV-lidar data, and hence used to reflect vertical distribution of air PM concentrations. It has been found that the thickness of higher PM concentrations is less than 500m in the basin. In the bottom of the basin, PM concentrations exhibited stronger horizontal homogeneities as compared with those in the North China Plain and Yangtze River Delta. However, gaseous pollutants seemed not to show clear relationships between their concentrations and altitudes in the basin. Their horizontal homogeneities were less significant compared to PM.

Observational Studies and a Statistical Early Warning of Surface Ozone Pollution in Tangshan, the Largest Heavy Industry City of North China

Continuous measurements of surface ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) at an urban site (39°37′N, 118°09′E) in Tangshan, the largest heavy industry city of North China during summertime from 2008 to 2011 are presented. The pollution of O3 was serious in the city. The daily maximum 1 h means (O3_1-hr max) reached 157 ± 55, 161 ± 54, 120 ± 50, and 178 ± 75 μg/m3 corresponding to an excess over the standard rates of 21%, 27%, 10%, and 40% in 2008–2011, respectively. The total oxidant level (OX = O3 + NO2) was high, with seasonal average concentrations up to 100 μg/m3 in summer. The level of OX at a given location was made up of NOX-independent and NOX-dependent contributions. The independent part can be considered as a regional contribution and was about 100 μg/m3 in Tangshan. Statistical early warning analysis revealed that the O3 levels would exceed the standard rate by 50% on the day following a day when the daily average ozone concentration (O3_mean) exceeded 87 μg/m3 and the daily maximum temperature (T_max) exceeded 29 °C. The exceed-standard rate would reach 80% when O3_mean and T_max exceeded 113 μg/m3 and 31 °C. Similarly, the exceed-standard rate would reach 100% when O3_mean and T_max exceeded 127 μg/m3 and 33 °C, respectively.

Gender, Age and Season as Modifiers of the Effects of Diurnal Temperature Range on Emergency Room Admissions for Cause-Specific Cardiovascular Disease among the Elderly in Beijing

Background: Diurnal temperature range (DTR) is an important index of climate change and variability. It is also a risk factor affecting human health. However, limited evidence is available to illustrate the effect of DTR modification on cause-specific cardiovascular disease among the elderly. Methods: A semi-parametric generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the exposure-effect relationship between DTR and daily emergency room (ER) admissions for cause-specific cardiovascular diseases among the elderly from 2009 to 2011 in Beijing. We examined the effects of DTR for stratified groups by gender and age, and examined the effects of DTR in the warm season and cold season for cause-specific cardiovascular diseases. Results: Significant associations were found between DTR and ER admissions for all cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease among elderly males, while DTR was significantly associated with ER admissions for all cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease among elderly females. People aged 75 years and older were more vulnerable to DTR. DTR caused greater adverse effects on both genders in the warm season, whereas the effect estimates on females were higher in cold season than in warm season. Conclusions: A short-term increase of DTR was significantly associated with ER admissions for cause-specific cardiovascular disease among the elderly in Beijing. Gender, age and season may modify the acute health effect of DTR. Some prevention programs that target the high risk subgroups in the elderly for impending large temperature changes may reduce the impact of DTR on people’s health.

Validation of MODIS C6 AOD products retrieved by the Dark Target method in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration, China

The quality of the MODIS C6 3-km and 10-km aerosol optical depth (AOD) products retrieved by the Dark Target (DT) method is discussed using ground-based observations in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region from 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008. Good consistency exists between the 3-km and 10-km products and ground-based observations. The retrieval accuracy of the two products both show distinctive seasonality. The percentage falling within the expected error (EE) is largest in the winter, moderate in the spring and autumn, and smallest in the summer. A worse overestimation appears in the spring and summer (27%–66%). However, the 3-km and 10-km products over different surfaces still exhibit obvious deviations. The 10-km product performs better in the large cities, while the 3-km product has advantages in the suburbs. In urban areas, the percentage falling within EE of the 3-km AOD product (18%–59%) is lower than that for the 10-km AOD product (31%–69%). However, in suburban areas, the percentage falling within EE of the 3-km AOD product (61%–84%) is higher than for the 10 km AOD product (54%–83%).The percentages falling within EE differ considerably when the AOD is greater than 1.5 (73% and 63% for the 3-km and 10-km products, respectively). On the whole, the 3-km (10-km) AOD product performs better in suburban (urban) areas.摘要本文利用2007年8月1日–2008年7月31日京津冀地区地基观测站的气溶胶观测资料, 系统评估了该区域暗像元法反演的MODIS C6 3km与10km分辨率AOD产品精度. MODIS 3km与10km气溶胶产品与地基观测值具有较好一致性. 两种气溶胶产品精度均表现出明显的季节变化特征,落入NASA误差线比例冬季最高, 春秋次之, 夏季最低, 春、夏季高估尤为明显 (27.3%∼65.9%). 不同下垫面条件下, 3km与10km气溶胶产品对AOD时空分布的描述能力存在差异, 大城市10km产品精度较高, 城郊3km产品精度较高; 城市地区3km产品落入NASA误差线比例 (18%∼59%) 低于10km产品 (31∼69%); 城郊地区3km产品落入NASA误差线比例 (61%∼84%) 高于10km产品 (54%∼83%), 特别对于AOD高值区间 (>1.5), 3km与10 km产品落入误差线比例分别达到73%与63%, 两者差异较大. 总体来说, MODIS C6暗像元法3km (10km) 分辨率AOD产品在城郊 (城市) 地区具有较好代表性.