Mortality and air pollution in Beijing: The long-term relationship

Since the 1980s, air pollution has become a major problem in northern China. Exposure to the extremely high concentrations of aerosols and trace gases might lead to important human health outcomes, including respiratory, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and malignant tumours. In this study, we collected data on mortality, visibility and the concentrations of certain air pollutants in Beijing from 1949 to 2011. Our goal was to investigate the mortality trends of different types of diseases and the relationship between mortality and air pollution. Based on the chemical compositions in particles and satellite formaldehyde, we found that mortality due to circulatory diseases was correlated with sulphate, nitrate and formaldehyde, whereas respiratory diseases were correlated with calcium, sulphate and nitrate, and malignant tumours was correlated with ammonium, nitrate and formaldehyde with an 11-year lag. The different responses to different air pollutants for different diseases are primarily a result of energy usage. [Display omitted] •Coal combustion was key factor for mortality from malignancies from 1949 to1965.•Total suspended particle concentration and dust fall decreased after 1980.•Secondary inorganic ions in the wet depositions increased after 1980.•Vehicular emissions were the key factors for mortality after 1980.