Air pollution exposures at Finnish levels – effects on birth outcomes, childhood asthma and mortality (APPEAL)

Health impacts of air pollution are dramatic. Newest international estimates are doubled in comparison to the previous ones. At low exposure levels the estimates are particularly uncertain due to lack of representative data and proper assessments. In this study comprehensive Finnish health registers are used assess the concentration-response relationships for sensitive outcomes. We combine a particularly large birth cohort (MATEX) to long representative air pollution time series data from Nordic collaboration for 1987-2016.

In collaboration with leading epidemiologists we assess particle composition associations with birth outcomes and childhood health and mortality.

The project takes register research and use of existing datasets forward following the “Whole country as cohort” -principle by unforeseen linkage in Finland, and has a strong component in researcher training.

Objectives

We quantify the exposure-response relationship at low exposures for a key set of health endpoints.

Specifically, we investigate health risks associated with fine particles and their composition re. 

• birth outcomes (birth weight, birth length, head circumference, preterm birth)
• childhood asthma 

Implementation

We combine a Finnish retrospective birth cohorts (MATEX; 1.7 million births) with air pollution estimates (9 particle fractions and 6 gases). By address linkage we obtain residential exposures for selected time windows. We use statistical approaches, e.g. logistic regression, to estimate the effect of the air pollutants on birth outcomes and childhood asthma.

Funding

The project is funded by the Academy of Finland.

Contact information

Isabell Rumrich
Researcher
puh. 029 524 7030
[email protected]