# The association between air pollutants, meteorological factors, and mushroom poisoning cases in Guizhou Province, China: a 5-year time-series study

## TL;DR

This study explores how air pollution and weather conditions in Guizhou, China, affect mushroom poisoning cases over five years.

## Contribution

The study identifies lagged associations and interactions between air pollutants and meteorological factors with mushroom poisoning risk.

## Key findings

- Higher ground temperatures, rainfall, and humidity significantly increase mushroom poisoning risk.
- CO, O3, and PM2.5 pollution levels are associated with reduced poisoning risk.
- Interactions between weather and pollution amplify the risk of mushroom poisoning.

## Abstract

Mushroom poisoning is a major food safety concern in Guizhou Province, where meteorological conditions play an important role in its occurrence. However, the lagged associations and interactions between air pollutants and meteorological factors on poisoning risk remain unclear. This study systematically evaluates the impact of these environmental factors on mushroom poisoning incidence.

We collected daily records of mushroom poisoning cases, air pollutants, and meteorological data in Guizhou Province from 2019 to 2023. A generalized additive model (GAM) was employed to analyze exposure-response relationships and interactions between air pollutants, meteorological factors, and mushroom poisoning cases, while a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) quantified lagged associations.

In 2019 and 2023, Guizhou Province reported 5,927 mushroom poisoning cases, with rural areas accounting for 4,306 cases (72.7%) and urban areas for 1,621 (27.3%). Significant nonlinear relationships were observed between the risk of mushroom poisoning and air pollutants [CO, O3, SO2, Particulate Matter 2.5(PM2.5)] and meteorological factors [rainfall (RF), relative humidity (RH), sunshine duration (SSD), daily average 5 cm ground temperature (T5)]. Single-pollutant DLNM analysis demonstrated that 0.1 mg/m3 increases in CO reduced mushroom poisoning risk (RCO = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.47–0.97, lag 0–18 days), as did 10 μg/m3 increases in O3 and PM2.5 (RRO3 = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.66–0.86, lag 0–20 days; RRPM2.5 = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.20–0.38, lag 0–20 days). In contrast, single-factor DLNM meteorological model analysis identified higher T5 (P75: 26 °C and P97.5: 30 °C; RRP75 = 5.53, 95% CI: 2.45–12.47, lag 0–20; RR97.5 = 10.32, 95% CI: 2.89–36.83, lag 0–20), RF (P75: 4 mm; RR = 3.21, 95% CI: 1.31–7.86, lag 0–17), and RH (P75: 87%; RR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.05–76.23, lag 0–20) as risk factors for mushroom poisoning. Moreover, signification interactions between meteorological factors and air pollutants amplified the risk of mushroom poisoning.

This study revealed lagged associations and interactions between air pollutants and meteorological factors on mushroom poisoning, providing a scientific basis for precise prevention and control.