Health effects of PM2.5 constituents and source contributions in major metropolitan cities, South Korea

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2022-11, Vol.29 (55), p.82873-82887
• Main Authors: Kim, Sangcheol, Yang, Juyeon, Park, Jieun, Song, Inho, Kim, Dae-Gon, Jeon, Kwonho, Kim, Ho, Yi, Seung-Muk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerosols; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cardiovascular diseases; Cities; Constituents; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Health risks; Heavy metals; Heterogeneity; Markers; Mortality; Mortality risk; Particulate matter; Research Article; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Spatial heterogeneity; Transition metals; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21592-1

Ambient PM 2.5 is one of the major risk factors for human health, and is not fully explained solely by mass concentration. We examined the short-term associations of cause-specific mortality (i.e., all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality) with the 15 chemical constituents and sources of PM 2.5 in four metropolitan cities of South Korea during 2014–2018. We found transition metals consistently showed significant associations with all-cause mortality, while the effects of other constituents varied across the cities and for cause of death. Carbonaceous components strongly affected the all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality in Daejeon. Secondary inorganic aerosols, SO 4 2− and NH 4 + , showed significant associations with respiratory mortality in Gwangju. We also found the sources from which species closely linked to mortality generally increased the relative mortality risks. Heavy metal markers from soil or industrial sources were significantly associated with mortality in all cities. However, several sources influenced mortality despite their marker species not being significantly associated with it. Secondary nitrate and secondary sulfate sources were linked to mortality in DJ. This could be attributed to the deep inland location, which might have facilitated formation of secondary inorganic aerosols. In addition, primary sources including mobile and coal combustion seemed to have acute impacts on respiratory mortality in Gwangju. Our findings suggest the necessity of positive matrix factorization (PMF)-based approaches for evaluating health effects of PM 2.5 while considering the spatial heterogeneity in the compositions and source contributions of PM 2.5 .