Association Between Health Symptoms and Particulate Matter from Traffic and Residential Heating − Results from RHINE III in Tartu

BACKGROUND: Traffic and residential heating are the main sources of particulate matter (PM) in Northern Europe. Wood is widely used for residential heating and vehicle numbers are increasing. Besides traffic exhaust, studded tires produce road dust that is the main source of traffic-related PM(10). Several studies have associated total PM mass with health symptoms; however there has been little research on the effects of PM from specific sources. OBJECTIVE: To study the health effects resulting from traffic and local heating PM. METHODS: Data on respiratory and cardiac diseases were collected within the framework of RHINE III (2011/2012) in Tartu, Estonia. Respondents’ geocoded home addresses were mapped in ArcGIS and linked with local heating-related PM(2.5,) traffic-related PM(10) and total PM(2.5) concentrations. Association between self-reported health and PM was assessed using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The annual mean modelled exposure for local heating PM(2.5) was 2.3 μg/m(3), for traffic PM(10) 3.3 μg/m(3) and for all sources PM(2.5) 5.6 μg/m(3). We found relationship between traffic induced PM(10) as well as all sources induced PM(2.5) with cardiac disease, OR=1.45 (95% CI 1.06−1.93) and 1.42 (95% CI 1.02−1.95), respectively. However, we did not find any significant association between residential heating induced particles and self-reported health symptoms. People with longer and better confirmed exposure period were also significantly associated with traffic induced PM(10), all sources induced PM(2.5) and cardiac diseases. CONCLUSION: Traffic-related PM(10) and all sources induced PM(2.5) associated with cardiac disease; whereas residential heating induced particles did not.