title: Emergency hospital visits in association with volcanic ash, dust storms and other sources of ambient particles: a time-series study in Reykjavík, Iceland.
abstract: Volcanic ash contributed significantly to particulate matter (PM) in Iceland following the eruptions in Eyjafjallajökull 2010 and Grímsvötn 2011. This study aimed to investigate the association between different PM sources and emergency hospital visits for cardiorespiratory causes from 2007 to 2012. Indicators of PM10 sources; "volcanic ash", "dust storms", or "other sources" (traffic, fireworks, and re-suspension) on days when PM10 exceeded the daily air quality guideline value of 50 µg/m3 were entered into generalized additive models, adjusted for weather, time trend and co-pollutants. The average number of daily emergency hospital visits was 10.5. PM10 exceeded the air quality guideline value 115 out of 2191 days; 20 days due to volcanic ash, 14 due to dust storms (two days had both dust storm and ash contribution) and 83 due to other sources. High PM10 levels from volcanic ash tended to be significantly associated with the emergency hospital visits; estimates ranged from 4.8% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.6, 9.2%) per day of exposure in unadjusted models to 7.3% (95% CI: -0.4, 15.5%) in adjusted models. Dust storms were not consistently associated with daily emergency hospital visits and other sources tended to show a negative association. We found some evidence indicating that volcanic ash particles were more harmful than particles from other sources, but the results were inconclusive and should be interpreted with caution.
authors: Centre of Public Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Stapi v/Hringbraut, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland. rgf1@hi.is.|Unit of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden. rgf1@hi.is.
authors: Hanne Krage
authors: HK
authors: Carlsen
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine and Sleep, Landspítali University Hospital-Fossvogur, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland. thorarig@landspitali.is.|Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Vatnsmýrarvegi 16, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland. thorarig@landspitali.is.
authors: Thorarinn
authors: T
authors: Gislason
authors: Unit of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden. bertil.forsberg@envmed.umu.se.
authors: Bertil
authors: B
authors: Forsberg
authors: Unit of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden. kadri.meister@envmed.umu.se.
authors: Kadri
authors: K
authors: Meister
authors: Unit of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland. throsturth@hi.is.|Institute of Earth Sciences, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland. throsturth@hi.is.
authors: Throstur
authors: T
authors: Thorsteinsson
authors: Environmental Agency of Iceland, Suðurlandsbraut 24, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland. thorsteinnj@umhverfisstofnun.is.
authors: Thorsteinn
authors: T
authors: Jóhannsson
authors: Centre of Public Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Stapi v/Hringbraut, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland. rgf1@hi.is.
authors: Ragnhildur
authors: R
authors: Finnbjornsdottir
authors: Unit of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden. anna.oudin@envmed.umu.se.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Oudin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D018707:Volcanic Eruptions / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014887:Weather
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D004391:Dust; D052638:Particulate Matter