What are the short-term effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on morbidity and mortality in Latin America?
Short-term effects of fine particulate matter, a systematic review and meta-analysis (Int J Public Health 2017, PMID 28255648) — a 10 µg/m3 increment in daily PM2.5 concentrations was significantly associated with an increased risk for respiratory mortality in all ages (pooled RR = 1.02, 95% CI, 1.02-1.02) and cardiovascular mortality (pooled RR = 1.01, 95% CI, 1.01-1.02).
Source: Int J Public Health 2017, PMID 28255648 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: high
Int J Public Health · 2017 · PMID 28255648 · DOI 10.1007/s00038-017-0960-y
Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter in Latin America is linked to higher risks of respiratory and cardiovascular deaths.
The question
What are the short-term effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on morbidity and mortality in Latin America?
What they tested
The study hypothesized that short-term exposure to PM2.5 would be associated with increased morbidity and mortality in Latin America.
How they did it
A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted, searching six online databases and hand-searching for studies investigating short-term associations between PM2.5 and daily health events in Latin America. Two reviewers independently assessed study internal validity, and random-effect models were used for the meta-analysis.
What they found
Out of 1628 retrieved studies, nine were selected for qualitative analysis and seven for quantitative analysis. A 10 µg/m3 increment in daily PM2.5 concentrations was significantly associated with an increased risk for respiratory mortality in all ages (pooled RR = 1.02, 95% CI, 1.02-1.02) and cardiovascular mortality (pooled RR = 1.01, 95% CI, 1.01-1.02).
| Respiratory Mortality | 1.02 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Mortality | 1.01 |
Each 10 µg/m3 increase in daily PM2.5 concentrations was associated with a 2% increased risk for respiratory mortality and a 1% increased risk for cardiovascular mortality.
What it means
Short-term exposure to PM2.5 in Latin America is significantly associated with an increased risk for respiratory and cardiovascular mortality.
Limitations
The evidence is concentrated in a few cities, and some studies presented a high risk of bias.
The paper at a glance
| Title | Short-term effects of fine particulate matter on daily health events in Latin America: a meta-analysis |
|---|---|
| Journal | Int J Public Health |
| Year | 2017 |
| PMID | 28255648 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1007/s00038-017-0960-y ↗ |
| Topic | Environment, air, water & exposures |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
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Personal PM2.5 Air Monitor
Long-term exposure to PM2.5 is one of the most consistently documented environmental risk factors for human disease and premature death. Large cohorts and meta-analyses link higher PM2.5 to increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality — about 16% and 28% higher per 10 µg/m³ in the Harvard Six Cities extended…
PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter, airborne particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). What are the short-term effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on morbidity and mortality in Latin America? [Plain-English summary of Int J Public Health 2017, PMID 28255648, DOI 10.1007/s00038-017-0960-y]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d28255648.html@misc{magellan_d28255648,
title = {What are the short-term effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on morbidity and mortality in Latin America?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d28255648.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 28255648; DOI 10.1007/s00038-017-0960-y; Int J Public Health 2017. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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