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Long-term air pollution and road traffic noise exposure and COPD: the Danish Nurse Cohort

Shuo Liu, Youn-Hee Lim, Marie Pedersen, Jeanette T. Jørgensen, Heresh Amini, Thomas Cole-Hunter, Amar J. Mehta, Rina So, Laust H. Mortensen, Rudi G.J. Westendorp, Steffen Loft, Elvira V. Bräuner, Matthias Ketzel, Ole Hertel, Jørgen Brandt, Steen S. Jensen, Jesper H. Christensen, Torben Sigsgaard, Camilla Geels, Lise M. Frohn, Maja Brboric´, Jelena Radonic´, Maja Turk Sekulic, Klaus Bønnelykke, Claus Backalarz, Mette K. Simonsen, Zorana J. Andersen
European Respiratory Journal 2021 58: 2004594; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.04594-2020
Shuo Liu
1Section of Environmental Health, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Youn-Hee Lim
1Section of Environmental Health, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Marie Pedersen
2Section of Epidemiology, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Jeanette T. Jørgensen
1Section of Environmental Health, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Heresh Amini
1Section of Environmental Health, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
3Dept of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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  • ORCID record for Heresh Amini
Thomas Cole-Hunter
1Section of Environmental Health, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
4Centre for Air pollution, energy and health Research (CAR), University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Amar J. Mehta
2Section of Epidemiology, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
5Statistics Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Rina So
1Section of Environmental Health, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Laust H. Mortensen
2Section of Epidemiology, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
5Statistics Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Rudi G.J. Westendorp
2Section of Epidemiology, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
6Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Steffen Loft
1Section of Environmental Health, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Elvira V. Bräuner
7Dept of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Matthias Ketzel
8Dept of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
9Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
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  • ORCID record for Matthias Ketzel
Ole Hertel
10Dept of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
11Danish Big Data Centre for Environment and Health (BERTHA), Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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Jørgen Brandt
8Dept of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
12iClimate, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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Steen S. Jensen
8Dept of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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Jesper H. Christensen
8Dept of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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Torben Sigsgaard
13Dept of Public Health, Environment Occupation and Health, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Camilla Geels
8Dept of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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Lise M. Frohn
8Dept of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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Maja Brboric´
14Dept of Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
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Jelena Radonic´
14Dept of Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
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Maja Turk Sekulic
14Dept of Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
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Klaus Bønnelykke
15COPSAC (Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood), Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Claus Backalarz
16DELTA Acoustics, Hørsholm, Denmark
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Mette K. Simonsen
17Diakonissestiftelsen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
18The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Zorana J. Andersen
1Section of Environmental Health, Dept of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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  • For correspondence: zorana.andersen@sund.ku.dk
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Abstract

Background While air pollution has been linked to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), evidence on the role of environmental noise is just emerging. We examined the associations of long-term exposure to air pollution and road traffic noise with COPD incidence.

Methods We defined COPD incidence for 24 538 female nurses from the Danish Nurse Cohort (age >44 years) as the first hospital contact between baseline (1993 or 1999) and 2015. We estimated residential annual mean concentrations of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm (PM2.5) since 1990 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) since 1970 using the Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model/Urban Background Model/Air Geographic Information System modelling system, and road traffic noise (Lden) since 1970 using the Nord2000 model. Time-varying Cox regression models were applied to assess the associations of air pollution and road traffic noise with COPD incidence.

Results 977 nurses developed COPD during a mean of 18.6 years’ follow-up. We observed associations with COPD for all three exposures with HRs and 95% CIs of 1.19 (1.01–1.41) per 6.26 µg·m−3 for PM2.5, 1.13 (1.05–1.20) per 8.19 µg·m−3 for NO2 and 1.15 (1.06–1.25) per 10 dB for Lden. Associations with NO2 and Lden attenuated slightly after mutual adjustment, but were robust to adjustment for PM2.5. Associations with PM2.5 were attenuated to null after adjustment for either NO2 or Lden. No potential interaction effect was observed between air pollutants and noise.

Conclusion Long-term exposure to air pollution, especially traffic-related NO2, and to road traffic noise were independently associated with COPD.

Abstract

Long-term exposure to air pollution, especially from traffic, and to road traffic noise were associated with increased risk of COPD, independent of each other https://bit.ly/3vaQY6q

Footnotes

  • This article has supplementary material available from erj.ersjournals.com

  • Author contributions: Study was conceptualised and designed by Z.J. Andersen and S. Liu. Statistical analysis and drafting of the manuscript was conducted by S. Liu. Y-H. Lim helped in statistical analysis. Z.J. Andersen helped in drafting the manuscript. J.T. Jørgensen prepared the individual cohort data for the analyses. M. Ketzel, O. Hertel, J. Brandt, S.S. Jensen, J.H. Christensen, C. Geels and L.M. Frohn developed the exposure modelling system and performed the air pollution exposure calculations. All authors have read and revised the manuscript for important intellectual content, and contributed to the interpretation of the results. All authors have approved the final draft of the manuscript.

  • Conflict of interest: S. Liu has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: Y-H. Lim has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: M. Pedersen has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: J.T. Jørgensen has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: H. Amini has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: T. Cole-Hunter has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: A.J. Mehta has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: R. So has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: L.H. Mortensen has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: R.G.J. Westendorp has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: S. Loft has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: E.V. Bräuner has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: M. Ketzel has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: O. Hertel has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: J. Brandt has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: S.S. Jensen has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: J.H. Christensen has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: T. Sigsgaard has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: C. Geels has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: L.M. Frohn has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: M. Brborić has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: J. Radonić has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: M. Turk Sekulic has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: K. Bønnelykke has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: C. Backalarz has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: M.K. Simonsen has nothing to disclose.

  • Conflict of interest: Z.J. Andersen has nothing to disclose.

  • Support statement: This work was supported by the Danish Council for Independent Research (DFF-4183-00353), the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programme (NNF17OC0027812), the China Scholarship Council (number 201806010406) and the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, Program DIASPORA, #6461896, LiBAir. Funding information for this article has been deposited with the Crossref Funder Registry.

  • Received December 21, 2020.
  • Accepted April 17, 2021.
  • Copyright ©The authors 2021. For reproduction rights and permissions contact permissions{at}ersnet.org
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Long-term air pollution and road traffic noise exposure and COPD: the Danish Nurse Cohort
Shuo Liu, Youn-Hee Lim, Marie Pedersen, Jeanette T. Jørgensen, Heresh Amini, Thomas Cole-Hunter, Amar J. Mehta, Rina So, Laust H. Mortensen, Rudi G.J. Westendorp, Steffen Loft, Elvira V. Bräuner, Matthias Ketzel, Ole Hertel, Jørgen Brandt, Steen S. Jensen, Jesper H. Christensen, Torben Sigsgaard, Camilla Geels, Lise M. Frohn, Maja Brboric´, Jelena Radonic´, Maja Turk Sekulic, Klaus Bønnelykke, Claus Backalarz, Mette K. Simonsen, Zorana J. Andersen
European Respiratory Journal Dec 2021, 58 (6) 2004594; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.04594-2020

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Long-term air pollution and road traffic noise exposure and COPD: the Danish Nurse Cohort
Shuo Liu, Youn-Hee Lim, Marie Pedersen, Jeanette T. Jørgensen, Heresh Amini, Thomas Cole-Hunter, Amar J. Mehta, Rina So, Laust H. Mortensen, Rudi G.J. Westendorp, Steffen Loft, Elvira V. Bräuner, Matthias Ketzel, Ole Hertel, Jørgen Brandt, Steen S. Jensen, Jesper H. Christensen, Torben Sigsgaard, Camilla Geels, Lise M. Frohn, Maja Brboric´, Jelena Radonic´, Maja Turk Sekulic, Klaus Bønnelykke, Claus Backalarz, Mette K. Simonsen, Zorana J. Andersen
European Respiratory Journal Dec 2021, 58 (6) 2004594; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.04594-2020
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