AAAR 31st Annual Conference
October 8-12, 2012
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Effects of Ambient Air Pollution on Daily Morbidity in a Developing Mega City
HAIDER A KHWAJA, Daniel Malashock, Zafar Fatmi, Azhar Siddique, Zafar Aminov, David Carpenter, Wadsworth Center, University at Albany
Abstract Number: 568 Working Group: Health Related Aerosols
Abstract Particulate air pollution is an important public health issue. Population-based studies have documented health risks resulting from short-term exposure to particulate matter. This study investigated the short-term effects of PM2.5, black carbon (BC), and Delta-C in ambient air on hospital admissions and emergency room (ER) visits among residents living in one of the largest cities in the developing world, Karachi, Pakistan. Daily records of hospitalizations and ER visits for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) at three major hospitals serving the city were collected. The 24 h concentrations of PM2.5 were collected at two commercial/residential and industrial/residential sites. BC and DC measurements were obtained from PM2.5 filters using an optical transmissometer. Single- and multi-pollutant lagged generalized linear time-series models were utilized to analyze daily counts of hospital, meteorological, and pollutant data. PM2.5 , BC, and DC concentrations in the city ranged 27 - 279 µg/m3, 1 - 32 µg/m3 , and 0 - 9 µg/m3, respectively. Analysis showed the evidence of positive associations of fine particle air pollution, meteorological factors, and seasonal parameters with ER visits and hospital admissions due to CVD in Karachi. Statistically strongest relationships were observed for all patients (RR = 1.499, 95% CI = 1.240 – 1.812 for Korangi; RR = 1.778, 95% CI = 1.349 – 2.345 for Tibet Center) and hospital admissions (RR = 1.613, 95% CI = 1.274 – 2.043 for Korangi; RR = 2.036, 95% CI = 1.424 – 2.911 for Tibet Center) for PM2.5 concentrations (151 – 200 µg/m3). Higher effect estimates per 1 µg/m3 for BC and DC compared with PM2.5 were observed. When PM2.5 was modeled with an additional indicator, estimates generally increased and became more robust. Results suggest BC and DC were associated with CVD health effects that were not reflected quantitatively when modeled with PM2.5. This study provides scientific evidence on the magnitude of health effects associated with air pollution in urban centers of large developing nations, evaluate BC and DC as additional indicators for evaluating health impacts associated with ambient air pollution, and finally, to provide scientists and policy makers with vital information for policy planning.