Burden of Disease Due to Outdoor Air Pollution in Korea

Purpose: This study measured the burden of disease in Korea related to outdoor air pollution using disabilityadjusted life year (DALY). Materials and Methods: As a risk factor of outdoor air pollution, particulate matter with a diameter less than 10 μm(PM 10 ) was used. First, PM10-related diseases and their relative risk (RR) were selected by means of a literature review. Second, population attributable fractions were computed by using formulae including RR and population exposure to PM 10 . Third, DALYs of PM 10 -related diseases in Korea were estimated. Finally, the attributable burden of disease due to PM 10 was measured as the sum of the products that multiplied the DALYs of PM 10 -related diseases by their population attributable fractions. Results: The disease burden of PM 10 was 6.9 DALY per 1,000 persons in 2007. The attributable burden of PM 10 was 2.68 for lung cancer, 2.41 for COPD, 0.62 for ischemic heart disease, 0.61 for pneumonia, 0.55 for asthma, and 0.03 for preterm. Conclusions: This study showed the environmental burden of disease of PM 10 and burden of PM 10 -related disease through objective data. It also suggested that active efforts are needed to continuously measure and reduce the burden of environmental diseases in Korea.