title: Risk assessment of PM(2.5) to child residents in Brazilian Amazon region with biofuel production.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exposure to fine fractions of particulate matter (PM(2.5)) is associated with increased hospital admissions and mortality for respiratory and cardiovascular disease in children and the elderly. This study aims to estimate the toxicological risk of PM(2.5) from biomass burning in children and adolescents between the age of 6 and 14 in Tangará da Serra, a municipality of Subequatorial Brazilian Amazon.
  
  
  METHODS
  Risk assessment methodology was applied to estimate the risk quotient in two scenarios of exposure according to local seasonality. The potential dose of PM(2.5) was estimated using the Monte Carlo simulation, stratifying the population by age, gender, asthma and Body Mass Index (BMI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male asthmatic children under the age of 8 at normal body rate had the highest risk quotient among the subgroups. The general potential average dose of PM(2.5) was 1.95 μg/kg.day (95% CI: 1.62 - 2.27) during the dry scenario and 0.32 μg/kg.day (95% CI: 0.29 - 0.34) in the rainy scenario. During the dry season, children and adolescents showed a toxicological risk to PM(2.5) of 2.07 μg/kg.day (95% CI: 1.85 - 2 .30).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children and adolescents living in the Subequatorial Brazilian Amazon region were exposed to high levels of PM(2.5) resulting in toxicological risk for this multi-pollutant. The toxicological risk quotients of children in this region were comparable or higher to children living in metropolitan regions with PM(2.5) air pollution above the recommended limits to human health.
authors.affiliation: Public Health and Environment Post-graduation, National School of Public Health at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. beatrizenf@gmail.com
authors.forename: Beatriz Fátima Alves
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Eliane
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ignotti
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Artaxo
authors.forename: Paulo Hilário do Nascimento
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Saldiva
authors.forename: Washington Leite
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Junger
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hacon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D056804:Biofuels / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D018533:Biomass; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012621:Seasons; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D014329:Tropical Climate
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D056804:Biofuels; D052638:Particulate Matter