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. 2018 Jun 8;15(6):1209.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061209.

Independent and Joint Contributions of Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Population Vulnerability to Mortality in the Detroit Metropolitan Area

Amy J Schulz  1 , Graciela B Mentz  2 , Natalie Sampson  3 , Melanie Ward  4 , J Timothy Dvonch  5 , Ricardo de Majo  6 , Barbara A Israel  7 , Angela G Reyes  8 , Donele Wilkins  9
Affiliations

Independent and Joint Contributions of Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Population Vulnerability to Mortality in the Detroit Metropolitan Area

Amy J Schulz et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Fine particulate matter is associated with adverse health outcomes. Exposure to fine particulate matter may disproportionately affect urban communities with larger numbers of vulnerable residents. We used multilevel logistic regression models to estimate the joint effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and population vulnerabilities on cardiopulmonary mortality (CPM). We estimated the health benefits of reductions in PM2.5 across census tracts in the Detroit metropolitan area with varying levels of population vulnerability, using cluster-specific odds ratios scaled to reflect PM2.5-attributable cardiopulmonary risk. PM2.5 and population vulnerability were independently associated with odds of CPM. Odds of CPM and the number of deaths attributable to PM2.5 were greatest in census tracts with both high PM2.5 exposures and population vulnerability. Reducing PM2.5 in census tracts with high PM2.5 would lead to an estimated 18% annual reduction in PM2.5-attributable CPM. Between 78⁻79% of those reductions in CPM would occur within census tracts with high population vulnerabilities. These health benefits of reductions in PM2.5 occurred at levels below current U.S. reference concentrations. Focusing efforts to reduce PM2.5 in the Detroit metropolitan area in census tracts with currently high levels would also lead to greater benefits for residents of census tracts with high population vulnerabilities.

Keywords: cardiopulmonary risk; cumulative risk; fine particulate matter; population vulnerability.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Proportion of persons of color at the census tract level, Detroit metropolitan area.
Figure 2
Figure 2
PM2.5 mapped at the census tract level, Detroit metropolitan area.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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