title: Air pollution and respiratory diseases: ecological time series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exposure to air pollutants is one of the factors responsible for hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases. The objective here was to estimate the effect of exposure to particulate matter (such as PM2.5) on hospitalizations due to certain respiratory diseases among residents in Volta Redonda (RJ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ecological time series study using data from Volta Redonda (RJ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on hospital admissions among residents of Volta Redonda (RJ), between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012, due to pneumonia, acute bronchitis, bronchiolitis and asthma, were analyzed. Daily data on PM2.5 concentrations were estimated through the CCATT-BRAMS model. The generalized additive Poisson regression model was used, taking the daily number of hospitalizations to be the dependent variable and the PM2.5 concentration to be the independent variable, with adjustment for temperature, relative humidity, seasonality and day of the week, and using lags of zero to seven days. Excess hospitalization and its cost were calculated in accordance with increases in PM2.5 concentration of 5 µg/m3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 752 hospitalizations in 2012; the average concentration of PM2.5 was 17.2 µg/m3; the effects of exposure were significant at lag 2 (RR = 1.017), lag 5 (RR = 1.022) and lag 7 (RR = 1,020). A decrease in PM2.5 concentration of 5 µg/m3 could reduce admissions by up to 76 cases, with a decrease in spending of R$ 84,000 a year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings from this study provide support for implementing public health policies in this municipality, which is an important steelmaking center.
authors: PhD. Researcher, Department of Energy, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Guaratinguetá, and Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Universidade de Taubaté (UNITAU), Taubaté, SP, Brazil.
authors: Luiz Fernando Costa
authors: LF
authors: Nascimento
authors: BSc. Postgraduate student, Department of Energy, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Guaratinguetá, SP, Brazil.
authors: Luciana Cristina Pompeo Ferreira
authors: LC
authors: Vieira
authors: MSc. Postgraduate student, Department of Energy, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Guaratinguetá, SP, Brazil.
authors: Kátia Cristina Cota
authors: KC
authors: Mantovani
authors: PhD. Researcher, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Bauru, SP, Brazil.
authors: Demerval Soares
authors: DS
authors: Moreira
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis / Q000191:economics; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000191:economics; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012016:Reference Values; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014887:Weather
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter