Association of Ambient Air Pollution with Respiratory Hospitalization in a Government-Designated “Area of Concern”: The Case of Windsor, Ontario

This study is part of a larger research program to examine the relationship between ambient air quality and health in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. We assessed the association between air pollution and daily respiratory hospitalization for different age and sex groups from 1995 to 2000. The pollutants included were nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM(10)), coefficient of haze (COH), and total reduced sulfur (TRS). We calculated relative risk (RR) estimates using both time-series and case-crossover methods after controlling for appropriate confounders (temperature, humidity, and change in barometric pressure). The results of both analyses were consistent. We found associations between NO(2), SO(2), CO, COH, or PM(10) and daily hospital admission of respiratory diseases especially among females. For females 0–14 years of age, there was 1-day delayed effect of NO(2) (RR = 1.19, case-crossover method), a current-day SO(2) (RR = 1.11, time series), and current-day and 1- and 2-day delayed effects for CO by case crossover (RR = 1.15, 1.19, 1.22, respectively). Time-series analysis showed that 1-day delayed effect of PM(10) on respiratory admissions of adult males (15–64 years of age), with an RR of 1.18. COH had significant effects on female respiratory hospitalization, especially for 2-day delayed effects on adult females, with RRs of 1.15 and 1.29 using time-series and case-crossover analysis, respectively. There were no significant associations between O(3) and TRS with respiratory admissions. These findings provide policy makers with current risks estimates of respiratory hospitalization as a result of poor ambient air quality in a government designated “area of concern.

Urban air pollution and emergency room admissions for respiratory symptoms: a case-crossover study in Palermo, Italy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Air pollution from vehicular traffic has been associated with respiratory diseases. In Palermo, the largest metropolitan area in Sicily, urban air pollution is mainly addressed to traffic-related pollution because of lack of industrial settlements, and the presence of a temperate climate that contribute to the limited use of domestic heating plants. This study aimed to investigate the association between traffic-related air pollution and emergency room admissions for acute respiratory symptoms.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From January 2004 through December 2007, air pollutant concentrations and emergency room visits were collected for a case-crossover study conducted in Palermo, Sicily. Risk estimates of short-term exposures to particulate matter and gaseous ambient pollutants including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide were calculated by using a conditional logistic regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Emergency departments provided data on 48,519 visits for respiratory symptoms. Adjusted case-crossover analyses revealed stronger effects in the warm season for the most part of the pollutants considered, with a positive association for PM₁₀(odds ratio = 1.039, 95% confidence interval: 1.020 - 1.059), SO₂(OR = 1.068, 95% CI: 1.014 - 1.126), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂: OR = 1.043, 95% CI: 1.021 - 1.065), and CO (OR = 1.128, 95% CI: 1.074 - 1.184), especially among females (according to an increase of 10 μg/m³in PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, and 1 mg/m³in CO exposure). A positive association was observed either in warm or in cold season only for PM₁₀.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings suggest that, in our setting, exposure to ambient levels of air pollution is an important determinant of emergency room (ER) visits for acute respiratory symptoms, particularly during the warm season. ER admittance may be considered a good proxy to evaluate the adverse effects of air pollution on respiratory health.</p

MORTALITY TREND IN APULIA PROVINCES, 1949-2008.

To estimate mortality trends by total and respiratory causes in 1949-2008, to evaluate the possible loss in health of Southern Italy resident

Analisi della mortalità nelle province pugliesi dal 1949 al 2008

Introduzione. Dalla fine degli anni ‘60, la Puglia è teatro di una vasta industrializzazione. Le città diManfredonia, Brindisi,Taranto e Bari hanno visto la nascita di insediamenti industriali, di enormi dimensioni, nei settori della chimica di base, della siderurgia, dell’energia e della farmaceutica, spesso costruiti in stretta prossimità degli abitati. Dalla fine degli anni ‘80 la Puglia annovera tre aree a elevato rischio di crisi ambientale:Manfredonia, Brindisi e l’area di Taranto, e cinque siti di interesse nazionale per le bonifiche localizzati nei comuni di Manfredonia, Bari, Taranto e Brindisi. Obiettivi. Stimare l’andamento della mortalità generale e dei tumori respiratori in quinquenni che coprono la finestra temporale 1949-2008. Metodi. Sono stati calcolati gli SMR% (Standardized Mortality Ratio) per le 5 province, adottando come riferimento la popolazione italiana di fonte censuaria fino al 1971; negli altri periodi la popolazione di fonte Istat stimata dalla rilevazione sulla popolazione residente comunale. I dati sanitari sono stati estratti dai volumi Istat sulle cause di morte. Le analisi non sono disaggregate per sesso. Risultati. I risultati sulla mortalità per tutte le cause indicano valori che oscillano intorno alla media nazionale con un range tra -20%e +20%. La mortalità risulta più elevata di quella nazionale in tutte le province a esclusione di Lecce, agli inizi degli anni ‘50 e degli anni ‘90. A Lecce gli SMR% sono sempre inferiori ai valori di riferimento, mentre nel periodo più recente (2006-08) l’unico valore superiore, ai limiti della significatività, si osserva nella provincia diTaranto (5.143 deceduti per anno, SMR% 101,5; LC95% 99,9-103,1). Per tutti i tumori dell’apparato respiratorio gli SMR% si discostano dai valori nazionali con un range tra -50%e +26%. Lamortalità risulta ovunque inferiore fino agli anni ‘80,mentre valori in eccesso statisticamente significativo si osservano agli inizi degli anni ‘90 nella provincia diTaranto (283 deceduti annuali, SMR% 126,5; LC95%119,9-133,2) e in quella di Lecce (425 deceduti annuali, SMR% 106,4; LC95% 102,0-111,1) e ancora a Lecce nei primi anni 2000 (475 deceduti annuali, SMR% 104,4; LC95% 100,2-108,7). Nelle province di Foggia, Bari e Brindisi la mortalità per questi tumori è sempre inferiore a quella nazionale; a Foggia e Lecce l’andamento è crescente negli anni. Conclusioni. Si conferma quanto già noto, che la mortalità totale nelle province pugliesi, dopo i valori elevati degli inizi anni ‘50, risultamediamente inferiore ai valori nazionali, con valori più elevati essenzialmente agli inizi degli anni ‘90.Nello stesso periodo si rilevano a Taranto e Lecce i primi valori in eccesso di mortalità per i tumori del respiratorio. Il lavoro continuerà ampliando le analisi a tutti i tumori e allemalattie respiratorie, e disaggregandole per sesso dal 1969

Mortality trend In Apulia Provinces, Italy, 1949-2008

Background Since the late 60s, in Apulia, in South-East of Italy, huge (in size and harmfulness) industrial sites have settled in close proximity to some cities. InLecce province, less heavily industrialized, male lung cancer mortality is a serious problem Aims To estimate mortality trends by total and specific causes covering the time frame 1949-2008, to evaluate the possible loss in health advantage of Southern Italy residents . Methods. Data come from historical publications of National Institute of Statistics: total number of deaths, by province, by specific causes but not by sex; national data instead disaggregated by sex, age and cause since 1927. Causes chosen after a careful evaluation of theICD codes ranging from ICD-5 up to ICD-10. SMR% (Standardized Mortality Ratio) have been computed. At the moment only mortality by all causes, respiratory cancers and pneumonia have been investigated since 1949. Results General mortality is on average lower than national levels, except in Taranto. In Lecce respiratory cancer mortalityshows higher values (+ 3 up to +6% ) since early seventies and Relative- SMR% (ratio to SMR by all causes) is growing with time (from +5% up to +10%) , while in Taranto it declines rapidly. Pneumonia mortality is clearly declining with time. The ratio with Apulia SMR% shows in Taranto high mortality (since 1981 for total and pneumonia mortality, since 1961 for respiratory cancer), in Lecce higher respiratory cancer mortality since 1971, while Bari shows higher mortality by pneumonia in all period. Conclusions As already known mortality in Apulia province is still lower than the national levels, but inside the region Taranto province shows higher mortality for the causes investigated. Bari emerges for high values of pneumonia deaths, while high respiratory cancers mortality is confirmed in Lecce since 40 years, and this corroborate the hypothesis of a local risk factor, as e.g. tobacco cultivation and manufactures