Association between Atmospheric Particulate Pollutants and Mortality for Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases in Chinese Korean Population: A Case-Crossover Study

Background: Air pollution in large Chinese cities has led to recent studies that highlighted the relationship between particulate matters (PM) and elevated risk of cardio-cerebrovascular mortality. However, it is unclear as to whether: (1) The same adverse relations exist in cities with relatively low levels of air pollution; and (2) the relationship between the two are similar across ethnic groups. Methods: We collected data of PM(2.5) (PM with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm) and PM(10) (aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 µm) in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016. Using a time-stratified case-crossover design, we investigated whether levels of particulate pollutants influence the risk of cardio-cerebrovascular disease mortality among ethnic Korean vs. ethnic Han residents residing in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture. Results: Under the single air pollutant model, the odds ratios (ORs) of cardio-cerebrovascular disease were 1.025 (1.024–1.026) for each 10 μg/m(3) increase in PM(2.5) at lag0 day, 1.012 (1.011–1.013) for each 10 μg/m(3) increase in PM(10) at lag1 day. In the multi-pollutant model adjusted by PM(10), SO(2), and NO(2), the ORs of cardio-cerebrovascular disease were 1.150 (1.145–1.155) for ethnic Koreans and 1.154 (1.149–1.158) for ethnic Hans for each 10 μg/m(3) increase in PM(2.5). In the multi-pollutant model adjusted by PM(2.5), SO(2), and NO(2), the ORs of cardio-cerebrovascular disease were 1.050 (1.047–1.053) for ethnic Koreans and 1.041 (1.039–1.043) for ethnic Hans for each 10 μg/m(3) increase in PM(10). Conclusion: This study showed that PM(2.5) and PM(10) were associated with increased risks of acute death events in residential cardio-cerebrovascular disease in Yanbian, China.