Associations between Weather, Air Quality and Moderate Extreme Cancer-Related Mortality Events in Augsburg, Southern Germany

Bibliographic Data

ID15462575
AuthorsPatrick Olschewski (0000-0002-9507-3645, University of Augsburg, corresponding author), Irena Kaspar‐Ott (0000-0002-5151-201X, University of Augsburg), Stephanie Koller (University of Augsburg), Gerhard Schenkirsch (0000-0003-0510-6069, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Augsburg University Medical Center, 86156 Augsburg, Germany), Martin Trepel (University of Augsburg), Elke Hertig (0000-0002-6934-9468, University of Augsburg)
Year2021
Volume18
Issue22
Pages11737-11737
Publication date2021-11-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph182211737
PMID34831496
OpenAlexW3212676885
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited56

While many authors have described the adverse health effects of poor air quality and meteorological extremes, there remain inconsistencies on a regional scale as well as uncertainty about the single and joint effects of atmospheric predictors. In this context, we investigated the short-term impacts of weather and air quality on moderate extreme cancer-related mortality events for the urban area of Augsburg, Southern Germany, during the period 2000-2017. First, single effects were uncovered by applying a case-crossover routine. The overall impact was assessed by performing a Mann-Whitney U testing scheme. We then compared the results of this procedure to extreme noncancer-related mortality events. In a second step, we found periods with contemporaneous significant predictors and carried out an in-depth analysis of these joint-effect periods. We were interested in the atmospheric processes leading to the emergence of significant conditions. Hence, we applied the Principal Component Analysis to large-scale synoptic conditions during these periods. The results demonstrate a strong linkage between high-mortality events in cancer patients and significantly above-average levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) during the late winter through spring period. These were mainly linked to northerly to easterly weak airflow under stable, high-pressure conditions. Especially in winter and spring, this can result in low temperatures and a ground-level increase and the accumulation of air pollution from heating and traffic as well as eastern lateral advection of polluted air. Additionally, above-average temperatures were shown to occur on the days before mortality events from mid-summer through fall, which was also caused by high-pressure conditions with weak wind flow and intense solar radiation. Our approach can be used to analyse medical data with epidemiological as well as climatological methods while providing a more vivid representation of the underlying atmospheric processes

Air pollution · Air quality index · Atmospheric sciences · Biology · Climatology · Context (archaeology · Geography · Meteorology · Air Quality and Health Impacts · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Environmental Science · Global Health Care Issues · Geology

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