Short-term associations of particulate matter with different aerodynamic diameters with mortality due to mental disorders and dementia in Ningde, China

Limited evidence is available regarding the impact of ambient inhalable particulate matter (PM) on mental disorder (MD) or dementia-related deaths, particularly PM1, PM1–2.5, and coarse particles (PM2.5–10). Moreover, individual confounders have rarely been considered. In addition, evidence from low-pollution areas is needed but is inadequate. Using death records from the Death Registration System during 2015–2021 in Ningde, a coastal city in southeast China, we combined a conditional quasi-Poisson model with a distributed lag nonlinear model to estimate the nonlinear and lagged associations of PM exposure with MD or dementia-related deaths in Ningde, China, comprehensively controlling for individual time-invariant confounders using a time-stratified case-crossover design. The attributable fraction and number were calculated to quantify the burden of MD or dementia-related deaths that were related to PMs. We found J-shaped relationships between MD or dementia-related deaths and PMs, with different thresholds of 13, 9, 19, 33 and 12 μg/m3 for PM1, PM1–2.5, PM2.5, PM10 and PM2.5–10. An inter-quartile range increase for PM1, PM1–2.5, PM2.5, PM10 and PM2.5–10 above the thresholds led to an increase of 31.8% (95% confidence interval, 14.3–51.9%), 53.7% (22.4–93.1%), 32.6% (15.0–53.0%), 35.1% (17.7–55.0%) and 25.9% (13.0–40.3%) in MD-related deaths at lag 0–3 days, respectively. The associations were significant in the cool season rather than in the warm season and were significantly greater among people aged 75–84 years than in others. The fractions of MD-related deaths attributable to PM1, PM1–2.5, PM2.5, PM10 and PM2.5–10 were 5.55%, 6.49%, 7.68%, 10.66%, and 15.11%, respectively; however, only some of them could be protected by the concentrations recommended by the World Health Organisation or China grade I standard. Smaller associations and similar patterns were observed between PMs and dementia-related death. These findings suggest stricter standards, and provide evidence for the development of relevant policies and measures.