Association between Ambient Air Pollution and Emergency Room Visits for Respiratory Diseases in Spring Dust Storm Season in Lanzhou, China

Yuxia Ma, Bingshuang Xiao, Chang Liu, Yuxin Zhao and Xiaodong Zheng
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Yuxia Ma: College of Atmospheric Sciences, Key Laboratory of Semi-Arid Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Center for Meteorological Environment and Human Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Bingshuang Xiao: College of Atmospheric Sciences, Key Laboratory of Semi-Arid Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Center for Meteorological Environment and Human Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Chang Liu: College of Atmospheric Sciences, Key Laboratory of Semi-Arid Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Center for Meteorological Environment and Human Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Yuxin Zhao: College of Atmospheric Sciences, Key Laboratory of Semi-Arid Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Center for Meteorological Environment and Human Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Xiaodong Zheng: College of Atmospheric Sciences, Key Laboratory of Semi-Arid Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Center for Meteorological Environment and Human Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: Background : Air pollution has become a major global public health problem. A number of studies have confirmed the association between air pollutants and emergency room (ER) visits for respiratory diseases in developed countries and some Asian countries, but little evidence has been seen in Western China. This study aims to concentrate on this region. Methods : A time-series analysis was used to examine the specific effects of major air pollutants (PM 10 , SO 2 and NO 2 ) on ER visits for respiratory diseases from 2007 to 2011 in the severely polluted city of Lanzhou. We examined the effects of air pollutants for stratified groups by age and gender, accounting for the modifying effect of dust storms in spring to test the possible interaction. Results : Significant associations were found between outdoor air pollution concentrations and respiratory diseases, as expressed by daily ER visits in Lanzhou in the spring dust season. The association between air pollution and ER visits appeared to be more evident on dust days than non-dust days. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs per 10 µg/m 3 increase in 3-day PM 10 (L3), 5-day SO 2 (L5), and the average of current and previous 2-day NO 2 (L01) were 1.140 (1.071–1.214), 1.080 (0.967–1.205), and 1.298 (1.158–1.454), respectively, on dust days. More significant associations between PM 10 , SO 2 and NO 2 and ER visits were found on dust days for elderly females, elderly males and adult males, respectively. Conclusions : This study strengthens the evidence of dust-exacerbated ER visits for respiratory diseases in Lanzhou.

Keywords: air pollutants; emergency room visits; respiratory system diseases; time-series; spring dust storm (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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