The Impact of Air pollution on Short-Term Daily Mortality In Spain

There are no up-to-date papers in Spain about the impact of air pollution on daily mortality at the provincial level. Three papers on the effect of PM10, NO2 and O-3 levels on daily mortality in the capitals of the 52 Spanish provinces have been recently published but there is no synthesis focusing on the joint effect of these three pollutants. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explain the joint methodology that has been followed in these studies, the main results obtained therein and the limitations of this type of paper and its implications for public health. The main conclusion is that the mortality rate that is ascribable to chemical air pollution in Spain stands at 9,500 deaths per year. This figure represents one fifth the mortality associated with smoking and is 8 times greater than the number of road traffic deaths In other words, 3 % of the mortality rate in Spain would be related to the short-term effects of chemical air pollution. Thus, it is essential to formulate structural action plans to lower the levels of chemical air pollution in Spanish large cities. In the particular case of ozone, the calculation of a threshold value at the provincial level could be useful in devising prevention plans similar to those already in place for preventing heat strokes.