[Association between particulate matter from biomass burning and respiratory diseases in the southern region of the Brazilian Amazon].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the short-term effects of exposure to particulate matter from biomass burning in the Amazon on the daily demand for outpatient care due to respiratory diseases in children and the elderly.


METHODS
Epidemiologic study with ecologic time series design. Daily consultation records were obtained from the 14 primary health care clinics in the municipality of Alta Floresta, state of Mato Grosso, in the southern region of the Brazilian Amazon, between January 2004 and December 2005. Information on the daily levels of fine particulate matter was made available by the Brazilian National Institute for Spatial Research. To control for confounding factors (situations in which a non-causal association between exposure and disease is observed due to a third variable), variables related to time trends, seasonality, temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, and calendar effects (such as occurrence of holidays and weekends) were included in the model. Poisson regression with generalized additive models was used.


RESULTS
A 10 microg/m3 increase in the level of exposure to particulate matter was associated with increases of 2.9% and 2.6% in outpatient consultations due to respiratory diseases in children on the 6th and 7th days following exposure. Significant associations were not observed for elderly individuals.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the levels of particulate matter from biomass burning in the Amazon are associated with adverse effects on the respiratory health of children.
do Carmo
Cleber Nascimento
CN
Departamento de Endemias, Fundação Oswaldo Cru, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, 21041-210. cleberdoc@yahoo.com.br
Hacon
Sandra
S
Longo
Karla Maria
KM
Freitas
Saulo
S
Ignotti
Eliane
E
Ponce de Leon
Antonio
A
Artaxo
Paulo
P
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018533:Biomass; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005390:Fires; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008685:Meteorological Concepts; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012621:Seasons; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects; D014197:Trees; D014504:Urban Health
D052638:Particulate Matter; D012906:Smoke