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Atmospheric pressure fluctuations in the far infrasound range and emergency transport events coded as circulatory system diseases

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Abstract

This study examines whether a relation exists between rapid atmospheric pressure fluctuations, attributed to the far infrasound frequency range (APF), and a number of emergency transport events coded as circulatory system diseases (EEC). Over an entire year, the average integral amplitudes of APF in the range of periods from 3 s to 120 s over each hour (HA) were measured. Daily dynamics of HA averaged over the year revealed a wave shape with smooth increase from night to day followed by decrease from day to night. The total daily number of EEC within the city of Kiev, Ukraine, was related to the daily mean of HA (DHA) and to the ratio of HA averaged over the day time to HA averaged over the night time (Rdn), and was checked for confounding effects of classical meteorological variables through non-parametric regression algorithms. The number of EEC were significantly higher on days with high DHA (3.72–11.07 Pa, n = 87) compared to the low DHA (0.7–3.62 Pa, n = 260, p = 0.01), as well at days with low Rdn (0.21–1.64, n = 229) compared to the high Rdn (1.65–7.2, n = 118, p = 0.03). A difference between DHA and Rdn effects on the emergency events related to different categories of circulatory diseases points to a higher sensitivity of rheumatic and cerebro-vascular diseases to DHA, and ischaemic and hypertensive diseases to Rdn. Results suggest that APF could be considered as a meteorotropic factor capable of influencing circulatory system diseases.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the NATO Program Security Through Science, Collaborative Linkage Grant number 98376, and by funds from the University of Antwerp (BOF-NOI). The authors thank Mr. F. Wiese and Mr. W. Deblauwe for technical support and providing atmospheric pressure monitoring data at Antwerp University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Pr. Nauki, 46, Kiev, 03028, Ukraine

    L. A. Didyk & N. P. Didyk

  2. Biological Department, Taras Shevchenko National University, Vladimirskay str., 64, Kiev, 01033, Ukraine

    Yu. P. Gorgo, V. B. Bogdanov & V. A. Lysenko

  3. Laboratory of Biomedical Physics, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerp, Belgium

    J. J. J. Dirckx & J. A. N. Buytaert

  4. Kiev Station of Emergency Services and Medicine of Catastrophes, Bogdan Khmelnitskiy str. 37 B, Kiev, 01000, Ukraine

    A. V. Vershygora & V. T. Erygina

Authors
  1. L. A. Didyk
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  2. Yu. P. Gorgo
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  3. J. J. J. Dirckx
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  4. V. B. Bogdanov
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  5. J. A. N. Buytaert
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  6. V. A. Lysenko
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  7. N. P. Didyk
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  8. A. V. Vershygora
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  9. V. T. Erygina
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Correspondence to L. A. Didyk.

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Didyk, L.A., Gorgo, Y.P., Dirckx, J.J.J. et al. Atmospheric pressure fluctuations in the far infrasound range and emergency transport events coded as circulatory system diseases. Int J Biometeorol 52, 553–561 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-008-0163-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-008-0163-6

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