• NascimentoLuiz Fernando CostaLFPhD. Researcher, Department of Energy, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Guaratinguetá, and Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Universidade de Taubaté (UNITAU), Taubaté, SP, Brazil., VieiraLuciana Cristina Pompeo FerreiraLCBSc. Postgraduate student, Department of Energy, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Guaratinguetá, SP, Brazil., Kátia Cristina Cota Mantovani, and Demerval Soares Moreira.
• PhD. Researcher, Department of Energy, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Guaratinguetá, and Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Universidade de Taubaté (UNITAU), Taubaté, SP, Brazil.
• Sao Paulo Med J. 2016 Jul 1; 134 (4): 315321315-21.

Context And ObjectiveExposure 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).Design And SettingEcological time series study using data from Volta Redonda (RJ).MethodsData 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.ResultsThere 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.ConclusionThe findings from this study provide support for implementing public health policies in this municipality, which is an important steelmaking center.

27 keywords...

hide…