Effects of Air Pollution on Respiratory Disease Outpatients of a Hospital in Tangshan

Objectives To investigate the effect of air pollution on the outpatient amount with respiratory diseases in Tangshan.

Methods The relationship between atmospheric pollutant concentration and daily outpatient rate of respiratory diseases from January 1^st, 2014 to December 31^st, 2016 in Tangshan was analyzed on the basis of Generalized Addictive model with the controlling of the long-term trend of outpatient service as well as the effects of weeks and meteorological factors.

Results Atmospheric PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and SO₂ were positively correlated with the outpatient rate of respiratory diseases with some lag effects. For each 10 μg/m³ increase in concentration, the daily outpatient rate of respiratory diseases increased by 0.37% (RR=1.003 7, 95%CI:1.001 6~1.005 8), 0.26% (RR=1.002 6, 95%CI:1.001 1~1.004 1) and 0.70% (RR=1.007 0, 95%CI:1.003 5~1.010 5), respectively. In multi-pollutant models, the daily outpatient rates of respiratory diseases were increased by 0.07%(RR=1.000 7, 95%CI:0.994 0~1.007 5) and 0.08% (RR=1.000 8, 95%CI:0.996 0~1.005 6), 0.49% (RR=1.004 9, 95%CI:1.000 3~1.009 6), respectively, with the increase of every 10 μg/m³ of PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and SO₂.

Conclusions There is a positive correlation between the atmospheric pollutants in Tangshan and the daily outpatient rate of respiratory diseases among residents.