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Abstract
Epidemiological studies have suggested the effects of ambient fine particles (PM2.5) on asthma, but the effects of specific components of PM2.5 on asthma remain to be explored. Here, we studied the effect of PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on asthma acute exacerbation. The data on daily counts of emergency room visits (ERVs) were obtained from Wan Fang Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, from 2012 to 2015. The daily concentrations of PM2.5 and pollutant gases were obtained from a local air quality monitoring station. The levels of PM2.5-bound PAH were estimated by an established grid-scale model. Relative risks for ERVs as the increase in the level of ambient pollutants were calculated by using a generalized additive model of Poisson regression. In the present study, we observed statistically significant positive associations between PM2.5 and asthma ERVs for all age groups. PM2.5-bound PAH was also associated with asthma ERVs for all age groups. In the adult subgroup analysis, there was a significant association between PM2.5-bound PAH and asthma ERVs at lags 1 and 2 (RR 1.289, 95% CI 1.050–1.582 and RR 1.242, 95% CI 1.039–1.485). The impacts of air pollution on the risk of pediatric asthma ERV were found to be significant for PM2.5 at lag day 0 (RR 1.310, 95% CI 1.069–1.606). Moreover, pediatric asthma ERVs were significantly associated with the levels of PM2.5-bound PAH at lag 1 and 2 days (RR 1.576, 95% CI 1.371–1.810 and RR 1.426, 95% CI 1.265–1.607). The study provides evidence that PM2.5-bound PAHs were associated with an increased risk of asthma attacks. Our data further suggested that traffic exhaust is a primary source of PM2.5-bound PAHs.
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; Chang Jer-Hwa 2 ; Chon-Lin, Lee 3 ; Wen-Cheng, Huang 1 ; Yuan-Pin, Hsu 4 ; Chung-Te, Liu 5 ; Shio-Shin, Jean 1 ; Huang Shau-Ku 6 ; Chin-Wang, Hsu 1 1 Taipei Medical University, Emergency Department, Department of Emergency and Critical Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481); Taipei Medical University, Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481)
2 Taipei Medical University, School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481); Taipei Medical University, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481)
3 National Sun Yat-sen University, Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412036.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0531 9758); Kaohsiung Medical University, Department of Public Health, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412019.f) (ISNI:0000 0000 9476 5696); Kaohsiung Medical University, Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412019.f) (ISNI:0000 0000 9476 5696)
4 Taipei Medical University, Emergency Department, Department of Emergency and Critical Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481); Taipei Medical University, Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481); Taipei Medical University, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481)
5 Taipei Medical University, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481); Taipei Medical University, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481); Taipei Medical University, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412896.0) (ISNI:0000 0000 9337 0481)
6 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County, Taiwan (GRID:grid.59784.37) (ISNI:0000000406229172); Shenzhen University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease for Allergy at Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Shenzhen, China (GRID:grid.263488.3) (ISNI:0000 0001 0472 9649); Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Department of Respirology & Allergy, Shenzhen, China (GRID:grid.263488.3) (ISNI:0000 0001 0472 9649); Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, Baltimore, USA (GRID:grid.21107.35) (ISNI:0000 0001 2171 9311)