Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To explore quantitatively the impact of the ambient air PM10 concentration (inhalable particulate matter) on the hospital outpatients for respiratory diseases.

METHODS:

Daily hospital visits data in 2008 was collected from a hospital in Shenzhen, meteorological data and air pollution data were collected from Shenzhen Meteorological Bureau and Shenzhen Environmental Protection Bureau, respectively. There was a time serial analysis using semi-parameter generalized additive model extend Poisson regression, after controlled with long-term tend, the-day-of-week, meteorological factors and other air pollutants. Excess relative risks (ER) of daily hospital visits associated with increased PM10 level were estimated.

RESULTS:

Ambient air PM10 concentration were no association with the increase of outpatients for respiratory in the same day. The lagged effect of 5 days with an ER of 1.113% (95% CI 0.613% - 1.616%) was observed. Except (PM10 + CO) model, the ER value increased when SO2, NO2, CO concentrations were introduced.

CONCLUSION:

The ambient air PM10 concentration could positively associated with the increase of daily hospital visits for respiratory diseases in Shenzhen.