Journal Article

Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Hospital Emergency Room Visits for Respiratory Disease in Urban Areas in Beijing, China, in 2013

Wang, Shuo, Gao, Qi, Xu, Qin, Wang, Chao, Huang, Fangfang, Wang, Wei, Wu, Lijuan, Guo, Jin, Guo, Xiuhua, Li, Xia, Tao, Lixin

2016

Overview

Heavy fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution occurs frequently in China. However, epidemiological research on the association between short-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution and respiratory disease morbidity is still limited. This study aimed to explore the association between PM2.5 pollution and hospital emergency room visits (ERV) for total and cause-specific respiratory diseases in urban areas in Beijing. Daily counts of respiratory ERV from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2013, were obtained from ten general hospitals located in urban areas in Beijing. Concurrently, data on PM2.5 were collected from the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, including 17 ambient air quality monitoring stations. A generalized-additive model was used to explore the respiratory effects of PM2.5, after controlling for confounding variables. Subgroup analyses were also conducted by age and gender. A total of 92,464 respiratory emergency visits were recorded during the study period. The mean daily PM2.5 concentration was 102.1±73.6 μg/m3. Every 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration at lag0 was associated with an increase in ERV, as follows: 0.23% for total respiratory disease (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.11%-0.34%), 0.19% for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) (95%CI: 0.04%-0.35%), 0.34% for lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) (95%CI: 0.14%-0.53%) and 1.46% for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) (95%CI: 0.13%-2.79%). The strongest association was identified between AECOPD and PM2.5 concentration at lag0-3 (3.15%, 95%CI: 1.39%-4.91%). The estimated effects were robust after adjusting for SO2, O3, CO and NO2. Females and people 60 years of age and older demonstrated a higher risk of respiratory disease after PM2.5 exposure. PM2.5 was significantly associated with respiratory ERV, particularly for URTI, LRTI and AECOPD in Beijing. The susceptibility to PM2.5 pollution varied by gender and age.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adolescent / Adult / Age / Age Factors / Aged / Air monitoring / Air pollution / Air quality / Air quality assessments / Airborne particulates / Asthma / Beijing / Child / Child, Preschool / Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / Confidence intervals / Disease control / Earth Sciences / Ecology and Environmental Sciences / Emergency medical care / Emergency medical services / Emergency Service, Hospital / Engineering and Technology / Environmental aspects / Environmental monitoring / Environmental protection / Epidemiology / Exposure / Female / Females / Health aspects / Health risks / Humans / Infant / Infections / Lung diseases / Male / Medicine and Health Sciences / Middle Aged / Morbidity / Mortality / Nitrogen dioxide / Obstructive lung disease / Outdoor air quality / Particles / Particulate matter / Particulate Matter - adverse effects / Particulate Matter - analysis / Particulates / People and Places / Physical Sciences / Pollution / Respiratory diseases / Respiratory tract / Respiratory tract diseases / Respiratory Tract Diseases - epidemiology / Respiratory Tract Diseases - etiology / Risk factors / Sex Factors / Studies / Sulfur dioxide / Urban areas / Urban Renewal / Young Adult