Browse > Article

Effects of the Severe Asian Dust Events on Daily Mortality during the Spring of 2002, in Seoul, Korea  

Hwang, Seung-Sik (Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine & Institute of Environmental Medicine, SNUMRC)
Kwon, Ho-Jang (Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dankook University)
Cho, Soo-Hun (Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine & Institute of Environmental Medicine, SNUMRC)
Publication Information
Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health / v.38, no.2, 2005 , pp. 197-202 More about this Journal
Abstract
Objectives: During the spring of 2002, an unprecedented 2 Asian dust events were experienced in Seoul. On those days, the $PM_{10}$ was surprisingly increased, with daily $PM_{10}$ averages exceeding $600\;and\;700{\mu}g/m^3$ on March 21 and April 8, respectively. Accordingly, public concern relating to the possible adverse health effects of these dust events has increased, as the dust arrives in Korea after having flown over heavily industrialized eastern China. We investigated the effects of these Asian dust events on the mortality during the spring of 2002, in Seoul, Korea. Methods: The total number of deaths per day during the spring of 2002 in Seoul was extracted form the mortality records of the National Statistical Office. We constructed 14 Asian dust days (March 17-March 23, April 7-April 13) and 42 control days during the 56 day study period (March 3-April 27) with respect to the days of the week. The daily average numbers of deaths between the Asian dust and control days were analyzed, with adjustment for meteorological variables and pollutants. Results: The daily PM10 average during the Asian dust weeks was $295.2{\mu}g/m^3$, which was significantly higher than during the control days (p<0.001). The daily average number of deaths from all causes during the Asian dust days was 109.9; 65.6 for those aged 65 years and older, 6.7 from respiratory causes (J00-J99) and 25.6 from cardiovascular causes (I00-I99). The estimated percentage increases in the rate of deaths were 2.5% (95% CI=-5.0-10.6) from all causes; 2.2% (95% CI=-7.4-12.8) for those aged 65 years and older, and 36.5% (95% CI=0.7-85.0) from respiratory causes, but with a 6.1% (95% CI=-19.7-9.7) decrease in deaths from cardiovascular causes. Conclusion: The Asian dust events were found to be weakly associated with the risk of death from all causes. However, the association between dust events and deaths from respiratory causes was stronger. This suggests that persons with advanced respiratory diseases may be susceptible to Asian dust events.
Keywords
Asian dust events; Particulate matter; Mortality;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Im HJ, Ha M, Cho SH, Kwon HJ. Perceptions of the Asian dust: Analysis of the newspaper articles about the Asian dust. Korean J Prev Med 2003; 36(3): 298-301 (Korean)
2 Lee S, Lim YO, Cheong Y. Out-patient visits for respiratory diseases and yellow sand phenomena. Korean J Epidemiol 1991; 13(2): 159-168. (Korean)
3 Kwon HJ, Cho SH, Chun YS, Lagarde F, Pershagen G. Effects of the Asan dust events on daily mortality in Seoul, Korea. Environ Res 2002;A90: 1-5
4 Available from Asian dust homepage: URL:http://yellow.metri.re.kr
5 Schwartz J. Air pollution and hospital admissions for respiratory disease. Epidemiology 1996; 7: 20-28   DOI   PUBMED
6 Kim KH, Kim MY, Shin JY, Choi KH, Kang CH. Insights into Factors Determining the Aerosol Distribution Characteristics of the Asian Dust on the Basis of the Concurrent Analysis of PM2.5, PM10, and TSP During the Spring Season of 2001. J KOSAE 2002; 18(5): 419-426 (Korean)
7 Schwartz J, Norris G, Larson T, Sheppard L, Claiborne C, Koenig J. Episodes of high coarse particle concentrations are not associated with increased mortality. Environ Health Perspect: 1999: 107: 339-342   DOI   ScienceOn
8 Thurston GD, Ito K. Epidemiological studies of acute ozone exposures end mortality. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 2001; 11(4):286-294   DOI   ScienceOn
9 Min PK. Kim CW, Yun YJ, Chang JH, Chu JK, Lee KE, Han JY, Park JW, Hong CS. Effect of yellow sand on respiratory symptoms and diumal variation of peak expiratory flow in patients with bronchial asthma. J Asthma Allergy Clin lmmunol 2001; 21 (6): 1179-1186 (Korean)
10 Lei YC, Chan CC, Wang PY, Lee CT, Cheng TJ. Effects of Asian dust event particles on inflammation markers in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage in pulmonary hypertensive rats. Environ Rev 2004; 95(1): 71-76   DOI   ScienceOn
11 Song SK. Kim YG, Moon YS. Comparison of synoptic meteorological and optical features of Asian dust during springtime in 2002. Proceedings of the 34th Meeting of KOSAE 2002; 2A(3): 95-97 (Korean)
12 Park JW, Lim YH, K yung SY, An CH, Lee SP, Jeong SH, Ju YS. Effects of ambient particulate matter ($PM_10$) on peak expiratory flow and respiratory symptoms in subjects with bronchial asthma during yellow sand period. Tuberc Respir Dis 2003; 55(6): 570-578 (Korean)
13 USEPA. Air quality criteria for particulate matter. EPA 600/P-99/002bB 2001. Office of Research and Development
14 Chen YS, Sheen PC, Chen ER, Liu YK, Wu TN, Yang CY. Effects of Asian dust storm events on daily mortality in Taipei, Taiwan. Environ Res 2004; 95(2): 151-155   DOI   ScienceOn
15 SAS Institute Inc. SAS system version 8.2. Cary, NC: SAS Institute Inc, 1999
16 Jaffe D, Anderson T, Covert D, Kotchenruther R, Trost B, Danielson J. Simpson W, Berntsen T. Karlsdottir S, Blake D, Harris J, Carmichael G, Uno I. Transport of Asian air pollution to North America. Geophys Res Lett 1999; 26(6): 711-714   DOI   ScienceOn
17 Lee BE, Hwang SS, Park HS, Ha EH, Kwon HJ, Lee JT, Cho YS, Park YS, Leem JH, Hong YC, Cho SH, Pang MG. The effects of Asian dust events of perceived symptoms and behavior of elementary school students. J Korean Soc Sch Health 2003; 16(1): 1-8 (Korean)
18 Yoon YH. On the yellow sand transported to the Korean Peninsula. J Korean Met Soc 1990; 26(2): 111-20 (Korean)
19 In HJ, Lee EH, Park SU. An analysis of dust-occurrence reports at WMO synoptic stations in spring 2002. Proceedings of the 34th Meeting of KOSAE 2002; 2A(2): 93-94 (Korean)
20 Pope CA, Hill RW, Villegas GM. Particulate air pollution and daily morality on Utah's Wasatch Front. Environ Health Perspect 1999; 107: 567-573   DOI   ScienceOn
21 Pope CA, Bates DV, Raizenne ME. Health effects of particulate air pollution; time for reassessment? Environ Health Perspect 1995; 103: 472-480   DOI   ScienceOn
22 Ministry of Environment. Health risk assessment of Asian dust, annual mid-term report 2003 (Korean)
23 Husar RB, Tratt DM, Schichtel BA, Falke SR, Li F, Jaffe D, Gasso S, Gill T, Laulainen NS, Lu F, Reheis MC, Chun Y, Westphal D, Holben BN, Gueymard C, McKendry I, Kuring N, Feldman GC, McClain C, Frouin RJ, Merrill J, DuBois D, Vignola F, Murayama T, Nickovic S, Wilson WE, Sassen K, Sugimoto N, Malm WC. Asian dust events of April 1998. J Geophys Res 2001; 106(D16): 18137-18330
24 Satoshi K. Estimation of natural burden to aerosols in urban air. J Air Poll Control Assoc 1978; 13:252