title: Health impacts due to particulate air pollution in Volos City, Greece.
abstract: There is great consensus among the scientific community that suspended particulate matter is considered as one of the most harmful pollutants, particularly the inhalable particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm (PM10) causing respiratory health problems and heart disorders. Average daily concentrations exceeding established standard values appear, among other cases, to be the main cause of such episodes, especially during Saharan dust episodes, a natural phenomenon that degrades air quality in the urban area of Volos. In this study the AirQ2.2.3 model, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) European Center for Environment and Health, was used to evaluate adverse health effects by PM10 pollution in the city of Volos during a 5-year period (2007-2011). Volos is a coastal medium size city in the Thessaly region. The city is located on the northern side of the Gulf of Pagassitikos, on the east coast of Central Greece. Air pollution data were obtained by a fully automated monitoring station, which was established by the Municipal Water Supply and Sewage Department in the Greater Area of Volos, located in the centre of the city. The results of the current study indicate that when the mean annual PM10 concentration exceeds the corresponding European Union (EU) threshold value, the number of hospital admissions for respiratory disease (HARD) is increased by 25% on average. There is also an estimated increase of about 2.5% in HARD compared to the expected annual HARD cases for Volos. Finally, a strong correlation was found between the number of days exceeding the EU daily threshold concentration ([PM10] ≥ 50 μg m(-3)) and the annual HARD cases.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Fluid Mechanics , Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technological Education Institute of Piraeus , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Moustris
authors.affiliation: b Department of Planning and Regional Development , University of Thessaly , Volos , Greece.
authors.forename: George T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Proias
authors.affiliation: c Laboratory of Environmental Technology , Electronic Computer Systems Engineering Department Technological Education Institute of Piraeus , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Ioanna K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Larissi
authors.affiliation: d Laboratory of Climatology and Atmospheric Environment, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens , Panepistimiopolis, Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiotis T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Nastos
authors.affiliation: e Electronic Computer Systems Engineering Department Technological Education , Institute of Piraeus , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Koukouletsos
authors.affiliation: c Laboratory of Environmental Technology , Electronic Computer Systems Engineering Department Technological Education Institute of Piraeus , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasios G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Paliatsos
mesh_terms: D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006115:Greece; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: Greece; Particulate matter; Volos City; airQ2.2.3 model; public health