Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy.
Respiratory Diseases Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria "Ospedali Riuniti", Ancona, Italy.
BMC Pulm Med. 2023 Oct 18;23(1):395. doi: 10.1186/s12890-023-02629-8.
Shipping and port-related air pollution has a significant health impact on a global scale. The present study aimed to assess the mortality burden attributable to long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM, PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO) in the city of Ancona (Italy), with one of the leading national commercial harbours.
Exposure to air pollutants was derived by dispersion models. The relationship between the long-term exposure of air pollution exposure and cause-specific mortality was evaluated by Poisson regression models, after adjustment for gender, age and socioeconomic status. Results are expressed as percent change of risk (and relative 95% confidence intervals) per 5 unit increases in the exposures. The health impact on the annual number of premature cause-specific deaths was also assessed.
PM and NO annual concentrations were higher in the area close to the harbour than in the rest of the city. Positive associations between each pollutant and most of the mortality outcomes were observed, with estimates of up to 7.6% (95%CI 0.1, 15.6%) for 10 µg/m increase in NO and cardiovascular mortality and 15.3% (95%CI-1.1, 37.2%) for 10 µg/m3 increase PM and lung cancer. In the subpopulation living close to the harbour, there were excess risks of up to 13.5%, 24.1% and 37.9% for natural, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality. The number of annual premature deaths due to the excess of PM and NO exposure (having as a reference the 2021 World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines) was 82 and 25, respectively.
Our study confirms the long-term health effects of PM and NO on mortality and reveals a higher mortality burden in areas close to shipping and port-related emissions. Estimating the source-specific health burdens is key to achieve a deeper understanding of the role of different emission sources, as well as to support effective and targeted mitigation strategies.
航运和港口相关的空气污染对全球范围内的健康造成了重大影响。本研究旨在评估安科纳市（意大利）长期暴露于环境颗粒物（PM，PM）和二氧化氮（NO）的死亡率负担，该市拥有全国主要的商业港口之一。
通过扩散模型得出污染物暴露量。通过泊松回归模型评估空气污染暴露与特定原因死亡率之间的关系，调整性别、年龄和社会经济地位因素。结果表示为每增加 5 个单位暴露量的风险变化百分比（以及相对 95%置信区间）。还评估了对每年特定原因过早死亡人数的健康影响。
靠近港口的地区 PM 和 NO 的年浓度高于城市其他地区。观察到每种污染物与大多数死亡率结果之间存在正相关关系，NO 浓度每增加 10μg/m，心血管死亡率估计增加 7.6%（95%CI 0.1，15.6%），PM 浓度每增加 10μg/m3，肺癌死亡率估计增加 15.3%（95%CI-1.1，37.2%）。在靠近港口的人群中，自然、心血管和呼吸道死亡率的超额风险高达 13.5%、24.1%和 37.9%。由于 PM 和 NO 暴露超标而导致的每年过早死亡人数（以 2021 年世界卫生组织空气质量指南为参考）分别为 82 人和 25 人。
本研究证实了 PM 和 NO 对死亡率的长期健康影响，并揭示了航运和港口相关排放地区更高的死亡率负担。估计特定来源的健康负担是深入了解不同排放源作用的关键，也是支持有效和有针对性的缓解策略的关键。
