[Anthropogenic air pollution and respiratory disease-related emergency room visits in Rio Branco, Brazil--September, 2005].
Air pollution is a major public health problem in the Amazon forest and in large Brazilian cities. During September of 2005, high concentrations of smoke from biomass burning were observed in the city of Rio Branco. An ecological study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between daily concentrations of particulate matter < 2.5 microm (PM2.5) and the number of respiratory disease (RD)-related emergency room visits. Daily PM2.5 concentrations exceeded recommended air quality limits on 23 days. The incidence of RDs was higher among children < 10 years of age. There was a significant positive correlation between PM2.5 concentrations and asthma emergency room visits.
Mascarenhas
Márcio Dênis Medeiros
MD
Programa de Epidemiologia Aplicada aos Serviços do Sistema Unico de Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Brasília, DF, Brasil. mdm.mascarenhas@gmail.com
Vieira
Lúcia Costa
LC
Lanzieri
Tatiana Miranda
TM
Leal
Ana Paula Pinho Rodrigues
AP
Duarte
Alejandro Fonseca
AF
Hatch
Douglas Lloyd
DL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D018533:Biomass; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004782:Environmental Health; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008875:Middle Aged; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D014197:Trees
D000393:Air Pollutants