title: Emergency visits and hospital admissions in aged people living close to a gas-fired power plant.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Combustion of natural gas for energy generation produces less pollutants than coke/oil. However, little is known about the short-term effect of pollution generated by gas-fired power plants on the health of elderly people.
  
  
  METHODS
  During three months, daily emergency visits/hospital admissions of subjects living within 3 km from a gas-fueled power plant were counted and related to ambient concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) and particulate matter of median aerometric diameter <10 μm (PM10). A generalized additive model served to correlate visits/hospital admissions to pollutants, controlling for meteorological confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean air concentrations of PM10 and NO(2) were higher after-than before the start of operation of the plant, with the highest concentrations recorded within 1 km. Although pollutants were below the limits set by the European legislation, in elderly people there was a positive correlation between the number of emergency visits and daily air concentrations of PM10 and NO(2), as measured at 1 and 3 km from the plant. In subjects aged 70 years or more, the number of hospital admissions was positively correlated with PM10 levels measured within 3 km from the power plant, whereas in older subjects (≥80 year) it was also significantly linked with the lowest air concentration of PM10 (measured at 6 km from the plant).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combustion of natural gas for energy generation produces a rise in air concentration of PM10 and NO(2) close to the plant, with a concentration-dependent increment of daily emergency visits and hospital admissions in elderly people, and with an age-dependent susceptibility.
authors.affiliation: Section of Internal Medicine, Hospital of Bisceglie, Via Bovio, 70057 Bisceglie (BAT), Italy. agostinodiciaula@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Agostino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Ciaula
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004782:Environmental Health; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006767:Hospitals, District; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D059206:Natural Gas / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011210:Power Plants; D012621:Seasons; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D059206:Natural Gas; D052638:Particulate Matter; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide