Zinc compound air releases from Toxics Release Inventory facilities and cardiovascular disease mortality rates

Inhaled zinc has been found in association with cardiopulmonary toxicity. However, limited human epidemiologic studies are available. This study analyzed the association between covariate-adjusted cardiovascular (CVD) mortality rates and zinc compound air releases in the United States. We conducted an ecological analysis on the association between zinc compound air releases for 1991–2000 using the Toxics Release Inventory database and average age-adjusted CVD mortality for 2006–2010, adjusting for race/ethnicity composition and several health and socioeconomic factors. Models were estimated for males and females and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. Zinc compound air releases were positively associated with increased adjusted CVD mortality rates in all four models (β=0.0085, p