E-POSTER GALLERY (ID 409)

P-1166 - Health Benefits Related to the China National Action Plan on Air Pollution Prevention and Control: An Accountability Study in Heavily Polluted Regions in China

Abstract Control Number
2170
Abstract Body
BackgroundThe National Action Plan on Air Pollution Prevention and Control in China was launched in 2013 and provides a unique opportunity to explore whether the short-term health effects of PM2.5 might have changed from 2013 to 2018 especially in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region where there were major reductions in PM2.5 concentrations. MethodsWe divided the entire study period (2013-2018) into two subperiods, 2013 to 2015 and 2016 to 2018, to estimate PM2.5-mortality effects separately using a quasi-poisson regression model and to observe whether the effects of the two subperiods have changed. We explored a nonlinear effect model, the control comparison analysis and the PM2.5 components proportion analysis to understand the potential factors to explain the changes in health effects. ResultsThe mean daily PM2.5 levels decreased by above 20 μg/m3 in the 47 counties included in this study from the second period to the first period. The SO42- component ratio dramatically decreased from 24% in 2013 to 11% in 2017 in Beijing. A 10 μg/m3 increase in the PM2.5 concentration was associated with increases of 0.16% (95% CI: 0.08, 0.24) from 2013 to 2015 and 0.02% (-0.09, 0.13) from 2016 to 2018 in total mortality. The effects of PM2.5 were significantly decreased for total and circulation mortality. The PM2.5-mortality relative risk estimates for 2013-2015 increased monotonically in a roughly linear fashion, whereas the PM2.5-mortality relative risk estimates for 2016-2018 were markedly lower and were non-linear. ConclusionsThe air pollution control measures taken in China since 2013 have resulted in reductions in air pollution levels as well as changes in the mix of pollutants to which people are exposed. In addition, trends in behavior may have altered personal exposures to pollution. These actions may have resulted in reduced mortality, but larger studies conducted over longer periods of time are needed to corroborate these results.