Ambient Air Pollution (AP), Respiratory Symptoms and Peak Flow Measurement in Groups of Children with and without Background Respiratory History Dwelling in Urban Areas with Different AP Levels

Introduction. Ambient air pollution, particularly in densely populated urban areas, is a major risk factor for the health of the exposed population. The respiratory tract is the primary target for air pollutants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of long-term exposure to air pollution and incidence of respiratory symptoms and diseases. Material and methods. Measurements of air pollutants: sulphur dioxide and soot particles, were carried out daily at the Institute of Public Health in Nis at two locations, in Nis and in Niska Banja, during the period 1999-2003. The Air Quality Index was calculated for both areas. The investigation included 654 women, nonsmokers, between 20-30 years of age, from two areas with different levels of common air pollutants. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases was determined on the basis of a modified WHO standard questionnaire completed by doctors. Results. The obtained results show that examinees from Nis had a statistically higher prevalence of some respiratory symptoms (cough with cold and phlegm) whereas women from Niska Banja had a statistically significantly higher prevalence of lower respiratory tract diseases. Conclusion. Long-term exposure to low concentrations of air pollutants is a contributing factor to the development of respiratory symptoms and diseases.

Download Full-text

Development of Land Use Regression Model for Seasonal Variation of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in Lahore, Pakistan

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13094933 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 4933

Author(s):

Saimar Pervez ◽

Ryuta Maruyama ◽

Ayesha Riaz ◽

Satoshi Nakai

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Regression Model ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Industrial Development ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Ambient Air Pollution ◽

Land Use Classification ◽

Land Use Regression ◽

Air Exposure

Ambient air pollution and its exposure has been a worldwide issue and can increase the possibility of health risks especially in urban areas of developing countries having the mixture of different air pollution sources. With the increase in population, industrial development and economic prosperity, air pollution is one of the biggest concerns in Pakistan after the occurrence of recent smog episodes. The purpose of this study was to develop a land use regression (LUR) model to provide a better understanding of air exposure and to depict the spatial patterns of air pollutants within the city. Land use regression model was developed for Lahore city, Pakistan using the average seasonal concentration of NO2 and considering 22 potential predictor variables including road network, land use classification and local specific variable. Adjusted explained variance of the LUR models was highest for post-monsoon (77%), followed by monsoon (71%) and was lowest for pre-monsoon (70%). This is the first study conducted in Pakistan to explore the applicability of LUR model and hence will offer the application in other cities. The results of this study would also provide help in promoting epidemiological research in future.

Download Full-text