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Effects of fine particulate matter and its constituents on emergency room visits for asthma in southern Taiwan during 2008–2010: a population-based study

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Abstract

This population-based study evaluated the short-term association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations and its constituents and hospital emergency room visits (ERVs) for asthma in southern Taiwan during the period 2008–2010. Data on hospital ERVs for asthma and ambient PM2.5 levels and its constituents were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research database and the Environmental Protection Administration, respectively. The quasi-Poisson generalized additive model was used to explore the associations between PM2.5 and hospital ERVs for asthma. During the study period, the average daily number of ERVs for asthma and mean 24-h average level of PM2.5 was 20.0 and 39.4 μg m−3, respectively. The estimated effects of PM2.5 on asthma ERVs fluctuated with increasing tendencies after adjusting for O3 and attenuating tendencies after adjusting for NO2, SO2, and CO. Children were more susceptible than other age groups to the effects of PM2.5 exposure on asthma ERVs, with the relative risks (RRs) for every 10 μg m−3 increase in PM2.5 being 1.016 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.002–1.030] and 1.018 (95% CI = 1.002–1.034), respectively, at a lag 0 day (i.e., no lag days) and lag 0–1 days. The effect of PM2.5 concentrations on asthma ERVs was similar in male and female. Furthermore, asthma ERVs was significantly associated with concentrations of nitrate (NO3 −), with the RR for each 1 μg m−3 increase in NO3 − concentrations being 1.004 (95% CI = 1.001–1.007) at lag 0 day. In conclusion, both PM2.5 concentrations and its chemical constituents are associated with ERVs for asthma; moreover, children were more susceptible to the effects of PM2.5 in southern Taiwan. PM2.5 constituent, nitrate, is more closely related to ERVs for asthma.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported financially by the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan (CMRPF6C0082 and CMRPF6F0051). The authors thank the National Health Research Institutes for providing the insurance data (registered number: NHIRD-101-533). Ethical approval was provided by the IRB of Chang Gung Medical Foundation (201601350B1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chiayi Campus, Taiwan No. 2, W., Jiapu Rd., Puzi City, Chiayi County, 61363, Taiwan (Republic of China)

    Su-Lun Hwang & Chieh-Mo Lin

  2. Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion Research Center, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chiayi County, 613, Taiwan

    Su-Lun Hwang

  3. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Chiayi Branch, Chiayi County, 613, Taiwan

    Su-Lun Hwang & Yu-Ching Lin

  4. Department of Respiratory Care, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chiayi Campus, Chiayi County, 613, Taiwan

    Yu-Ching Lin & Chieh-Mo Lin

  5. Department of Respiratory Care, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 333, Taiwan

    Yu-Ching Lin

  6. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 333, Taiwan

    Chieh-Mo Lin

  7. Department of Emergency Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi Branch, Chiayi County, 613, Taiwan

    Kuang-Yu Hsiao

Authors
  1. Su-Lun Hwang
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  2. Yu-Ching Lin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Su-Lun Hwang.

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This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Chang Gung Medical Foundation (IRB no. 101-3077C).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Hwang, SL., Lin, YC., Lin, CM. et al. Effects of fine particulate matter and its constituents on emergency room visits for asthma in southern Taiwan during 2008–2010: a population-based study. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 15012–15021 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9121-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9121-3

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