Mortality–Air Pollution Associations in Low-Exposure Environments (MAPLE): Phase 1

Research Report 203,
2019

Research Report 203 describes the first-phase results of a study led by Dr. Michael Brauer at The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada and presents the detailed Commentary by HEI’s Low-Exposure Epidemiology Studies Review Panel on the results and the needs for further analysis.   

The study evaluates the relationship between long-term exposure to low concentrations of PM2.5 and non-accidental mortality. It includes a careful characterization of the shape of the concentration–response functions, in a large population-based cohort (~9 million adults) in Canada. The investigators combined state-of-the-art satellite data, ground-level measurements, atmospheric modeling data, and land-use covariates to estimate outdoor PM2.5 annual exposure at high spatial resolution (1 km2) to estimate exposure from 1981–2016.

HEI expects to publish the final Phase 2 report in 2021.

Exposure estimates for this Phase 1 study by Brauer and colleagues are available at http://fizz.phys.dal.ca/~atmos/martin/?page_id=140#V4.NA.01. Additional data will be made available after the final (Phase 2) report has been published.