Synoptic weather types and aeroallergens modify the effect of air pollution on hospitalisations for asthma hospitalisations in Canadian cities
- DOI
- Language of the publication
- English
- Date
- 2015-04-18
- Type
- Article
- Author(s)
- Hebbern, Christopher
- Cakmak, Sabit
- Publisher
- Elsevier
Abstract
Pollution levels and the effect of air pollution on human health can be modified by synoptic weather type and aeroallergens. We investigated the effect modification of aeroallergens on the association between CO, O3, NO2, SO2, PM10, PM2.5 and asthma hospitalisation rates in seven synoptic weather types. We developed single air pollutant models, adjusted for the effect of aeroallergens and stratified by synoptic weather type, and pooled relative risk estimates for asthma hospitalisation in ten Canadian cities. Aeroallergens significantly modified the relative risk in 19 pollutant-weather type combinations, reducing the size and variance for each single pollutant model. However, aeroallergens did not significantly modify relative risk for any pollutant in the DT or MT weather types, or for PM10 in any weather type. Thus, there is a modifying effect of aeroallergens on the association between CO, O3, NO2, SO2, PM2.5 and asthma hospitalisations that differs under specific synoptic weather types.
Plain language summary
Health Canada is responsible for assessing health risks of air pollution as outlined in the Clean Air Regulatory Agenda. The interaction between air pollutants and asthma hospitalisations can be affected by aeroallergens such as pollen. Weather patterns, which can be grouped into distinct categories based on their meteorological characteristics, can also affect the relationship between air pollutants and asthma hospitalisation. Health Canada conducted this study to understand the relationship between air pollutants, asthma hospitalisations, aeroallergens and weather types, to identify which conditions most affect asthma hospitalisation rates. The results revealed that aeroallergens and certain pollutants together increase the risk of asthma hospitalisations and the level of risk varies depending on the weather type present. The findings from this study are applicable to risk management decisions and the development of air pollution standards in Canada.
Subject
- Health,
- Health and safety