Effects of the Asian Dust Events on Daily Mortality in Seoul, Korea

doi:10.1006/enrs.2002.4377

Environmental Research

Volume 90, Issue 1, September 2002, Pages 1-5

https://doi.org/10.1006/enrs.2002.4377 Get rights and content

Abstract

The Korean peninsula has a long history of dust clouds blown by winds from the arid deserts of Mongolia and China in springtime; these are called Asian dust events. Public concern about the possible adverse effects of this dust has increased, because the dust arrives in Korea after having passed over heavily industrialized eastern China. The present study explored the effect of Asian dust events on daily mortality in Seoul, South Korea, during the period 1995–1998. We evaluated the association between daily death counts and the dust events using Poisson regression analysis, adjusted for time trends, weather variables, and the day of the week. Between 1995 and 1998, we identified 28 Asian dust days in Seoul. The estimated percentage increase in the rate of deaths from 3-day moving averages of exposure was 1.7% (95/ confidence interval: −1.6 to 5.3) for all causes, 2.2% (95% confidence interval: −3.5 to 8.3) for deaths of persons aged 65 years and older, and 4.1% (95% confidence interval: −3.8 to 12.6) for cardiovascular and respiratory causes. Our results provide weak evidence that the Asian dust events are associated with risk of death from all causes. However, the association between the dust events and deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory causes was stronger and it suggests that persons with advanced cardiovascular and respiratory disease may be susceptible to the Asian dust events.

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¹: To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dankook University, San 29, Anseo-Dong, Cheonan, Choongnam, 330-714, South Korea. Fax: +82 41 556 6461. E-mail: [email protected].

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Regular ArticleEffects of the Asian Dust Events on Daily Mortality in Seoul, Korea

Abstract

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Asian dust events of April 1998

J. Geophys. Res.

Short-term effects of ambient sulphur dioxide and particulate matter on mortality in 12 European cities: Results from time series data from the APHEA project

Br. Med. J.

Air pollution and mortality in Philadelphia, 1974–1988

Am. J. Epidemiol.

Effects of ambient air pollution on daily mortality in a cohort of patients with congestive heart failure

Epidemiology

Regular Article
Effects of the Asian Dust Events on Daily Mortality in Seoul, Korea