Effects of Air Pollution on Human Health and Costs: Current Situation in São Paulo, Brazil

José Carlos Curvelo Santana, Amanda Carvalho Miranda, Charles Lincoln Kenji Yamamura, Silvério Catureba da Silva Filho, Elias Basile Tambourgi, Linda Lee Ho and Fernando Tobal Berssaneti
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José Carlos Curvelo Santana: Department of Production Engineering, University of São Paulo, Prof. Luciano Gualberto Avenue, 1380, Butantã, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Amanda Carvalho Miranda: Industrial Engineering Post Graduation Program, Nine July University, São Paulo 01525-000, Brazil
Charles Lincoln Kenji Yamamura: Department of Production Engineering, University of São Paulo, Prof. Luciano Gualberto Avenue, 1380, Butantã, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Silvério Catureba da Silva Filho: Industrial Engineering Post Graduation Program, Nine July University, São Paulo 01525-000, Brazil
Elias Basile Tambourgi: School of Chemical Engineering, State University of Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
Linda Lee Ho: Department of Production Engineering, University of São Paulo, Prof. Luciano Gualberto Avenue, 1380, Butantã, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Fernando Tobal Berssaneti: Department of Production Engineering, University of São Paulo, Prof. Luciano Gualberto Avenue, 1380, Butantã, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: This study focused on verifying whether the emission of air pollutants in São Paulo increases the costs and number of hospitalizations for respiratory diseases in Brazil. Data on pollutant emissions, hospitalizations, and hospital costs were collected from 2008 to 2017 and correlated with air quality standards. The results showed that the concentration of particulate matter increased each year during the study period and was highly correlated with hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases. Ozone (O 3 ) was within the quality standard throughout the study period but registered an increase in the mean and a positive correlation with hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases. The carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) levels were within the quality standards throughout the study period with a decrease in the last years studied, but showed a positive correlation with hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases. The pollutant emissions and hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases had an inverse relationship with the monthly rainfall curve for São Paulo, which indicates that rainfall tended to reduce pollutant emissions and consequently hospitalizations due to inhalation of these pollutants. Because costs are directly associated with hospitalizations, both increased during the study period—302,000 hospitalizations at an average cost of 368 USD resulted in a total cost of 111 million USD. To reduce these costs, Brazil should implement stricter policies to improve the air quality of its major cities and develop a viable alternative to diesel vehicles.

Keywords: air quality index; pollutant emissions; human health; particulate material; pulmonary disease; environmental protection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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