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The association between air pollutants and morbidity for diabetes and liver diseases modified by sexes, ages, and seasons in Tianjin, China

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Abstract

With the generalized linear model and natural splines (ns), we examined the association between outdoor air pollutants and daily morbidity for diabetes and liver disease stratified by sexes and ages based on 4 years of daily data (2008–2011) in Tianjin, China. Season effects of air pollutants including particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were also investigated. An increase of 10 μg/m3 in a 2-day average concentrations of particulate matter with diameters of 10 μm or less (PM10), SO2, and NO2 corresponds to increases in diabetes morbidity of 0.39 % (95 % confidence interval (CI), −0.42–1.12), 0.15 % (95 % CI, −0.25–0.54), and 1.22 % (95 % CI, 0.51–2.96), respectively. As for liver morbidity, the increases were −0.84 % (95 % CI, −2.33–0.62), 0.90 % (95 % CI, 0.50–1.74), and 1.10 % (95 % CI, −2.58–4.78), respectively. The effects were stronger in the cool season than those in the warm season; females and the elderly were generally more vulnerable to outdoor air pollution. This study possesses scientific implications and instructional significance for local environmental standards and medical policymaking.

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation as a key project (grant no. 21037002), and by the Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China as an innovative research team project (grant no. IRT13024). We cordially thank the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of Urban Districts in Tianjin for assisting us in collecting medical data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300071, China

    Ling Tong

  2. Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China

    Ling Tong & Qixing Zhou

  3. School of Industrial Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China

    Kai Li

Authors
  1. Ling Tong
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  2. Kai Li
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  3. Qixing Zhou
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Correspondence to Qixing Zhou.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Tong, L., Li, K. & Zhou, Q. The association between air pollutants and morbidity for diabetes and liver diseases modified by sexes, ages, and seasons in Tianjin, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 1215–1219 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3432-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3432-4

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