Ambient Airborne Particulates of Diameter <= 1 mu m, a Leading Contributor to the Association Between Ambient Airborne Particulates of Diameter <= 2.5 mu m and Children's Blood Pressure

Abstract

Evidence on the associations between airborne particulates of diameter ≤1 μm (PM1) and airborne particulates of diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) and childhood blood pressure (BP) is scarce. To help to address this literature gap, we conducted a study to explore the associations in Chinese children. Between 2012 and 2013, we recruited 9354 children, aged 5 to 17 years, from 62 schools in 7 northeastern Chinese cities. We measured their BP with a mercury sphygmomanometer. We used a spatiotemporal model to estimate daily ambient PM1 and PM2.5 exposures, which we assigned to participants' home addresses. Associations between particulate matter exposure and BP were evaluated with generalized linear mixed..