Impact on human health of particulate matter emitted from burnings in the Brazilian Amazon region.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the impact on human health of exposure to particulate matter emitted from burnings in the Brazilian Amazon region.


METHODS
This was an ecological study using an environmental exposure indicator presented as the percentage of annual hours (AH%) of PM2.5 above 80 microg/m3. The outcome variables were the rates of hospitalization due to respiratory disease among children, the elderly and the intermediate age group, and due to childbirth. Data were obtained from the National Space Research Institute and the Ministry of Health for all of the microregions of the Brazilian Amazon region, for the years 2004 and 2005. Multiple regression models for the outcome variables in relation to the predictive variable AH% of PM2.5 above 80 microg/m3 were analyzed. The Human Development Index (HDI) and mean number of complete blood counts per 100 inhabitants in the Brazilian Amazon region were the control variables in the regression analyses.


RESULTS
The association of the exposure indicator (AH%) was higher for the elderly than for other age groups (beta = 0.10). For each 1% increase in the exposure indicator there was an increase of 8% in child hospitalization, 10% in hospitalization of the elderly, and 5% for the intermediate age group, even after controlling for HDI and mean number of complete blood counts. No association was found between the AH% and hospitalization due to childbirth.


CONCLUSIONS
The indicator of atmospheric pollution showed an association with occurrences of respiratory diseases in the Brazilian Amazon region, especially in the more vulnerable age groups. This indicator may be used to assess the effects of forest burning on human health.
Departamento de Enfermagem, Instituto de Ciências Naturais e Tecnológicas, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Cáceres, MT, Brasil. eliane.ignotti@cnpq.br
Eliane
E
Ignotti
Joaquim Gonçalves
JG
Valente
Karla Maria
KM
Longo
Saulo Ribeiro
SR
Freitas
Sandra de Souza
Sde S
Hacon
Paulo Artaxo
PA
Netto
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter