Author(s)

P. Fernández, R. Herruzo, A. Justel & F. Jaque

Abstract

In this paper the influence of the air quality on the mortality associated with respiratory causes in the Madrid (Spain) area during 1990-1998 is analysed. Air pollutants and mortality show that during this period there were two different effects; periodic annual fluctuations plus a monotonic evolution. It has been found that the slope values and signs of the monotonic components are different for each pollutant and mortality ascribed to respiratory causes; negative for particles, SO2, and NOx and positive for the O3 concentration and mortality values. A casual relationship between the mortality ascribed to respiratory causes and ozone concentration during the 1900-1998 period has been found. The variation detected in the Ultraviolet Index and traffic in Madrid City during the 1990-1998 period is also considered Keywords: air pollution, ozone and nitrogen oxides trends, ultraviolet radiation, health effects. 1 Introduction In the last years, much effort has been given to the health effects of air contamination, detecting a correlation between air pollution and daily mortality realised in the U.S and Europe (Brimblecombe [1] and Brunekreef and Holgate [2]). A large study concerning the correlation between air pollution and

Keywords

air pollution, ozone and nitrogen oxides trends, ultraviolet radiation, health effects.