Ozone is one of the main air pollutants, and is a global health hazard. Ozone increases the short-term risks of the worldwide total mortality and attribute to about 63 million of mortality around the world. The health effects of ozone are demanding more attention because of its high concentration and the larger influence of climate change in the future.

Ambient ozone pollution becomes critical in China, as in many places in the world. Conclusions on the short-term effects of ozone on cardiovascular mortality have been controversial and limited on cause-specific cardiovascular mortalities and their interactions with season and temperature.

This research aimed to investigate the short-term effects of ozone and the modifications of season and temperature on cardiovascular mortality in China. Higher temperature, particularly extreme heat, rather than warm season, could significantly enhance the adverse effects of ozone on cardiovascular mortality in population under 65 years old. The revealed cardiovascular impacts of ozone below current (national) standards of air quality urges for improved standards and interventions in China, and other places with similar interactions.

Read the full paper here: Gao, P., Wu, Y., He, L., Wang, L., Fu, Y., Chen, J., Zhang, F., Krafft, T. & Martens, P. (2023). Adverse short-term effects of ozone on cardiovascular mortalities modified by season and temperature: a time-series study. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, DOI: doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1182337