Acute Effects of Ozone Pollution on Daily Emergency Ambulance Dispatches Due to Respiratory Diseases in Shijiazhuang

Objective  To access the relationship between ambient maximum 8-h average concentration of ozone and daily emergency ambulance dispatches due to respiratory diseases in Shijiazhuang.

Methods  Semi-parametric generalized additive model was used to analyze the relationship between O₃-8h concentration and daily emergency ambulance dispatches due to respiratory diseases from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014 in Shijiazhuang after adjustment for time trends, weather conditions and "days of the week".

Results  An 10ug/m³ increase in the lag1 day concentration of O₃-8h corresponded to increase of 1.20%(95% CI:0.36%~2.04%) in daily emergency ambulance dispatches due to respiratory diseases. The effects of ozone pollution on daily emergency ambulance dispatches due to respiratory diseases were restricted in the warm season in Shijiazhuang.

Conclusions  Our research indicates that outdoor O₃-8h concentration is significantly associated with increased risk of emergency ambulance dispatches due to respiratory diseases in Shijiazhuang.