Research Article

Urban Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits Related to Pregnancy Complications

Volume: 5 Number: 2 August 1, 2022
  • Mieczysław Szyszkowicz

Urban Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits Related to Pregnancy Complications

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between urban ambient air pollution and emergency department visits during pregnancy and the puerperium in Toronto. Methods: The National Ambulatory Care Reporting System database was applied to retrieve the corresponding emergency department visits for 2004-2015 (4292 days). Average of 5 gaseous ambient air pollutants, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone (CO, NO2, SO2, O3, O3-h8—ozone as a maximum 8 hour average, respectively), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was used. In addition, the Air Quality Health Index (combines NO2, O3, and PM2.5) was tested. Conditional Poisson regression models were built for daily counts of emergency department visits related to pregnancy. Air pollutants and weather factors were lagged from 0 to 14 days. The study was performed by strata defined as all period and by 2 seasons (warm: April-September, cold: October-March). Results: In the study period, there were 165 502 emergency department visits related to pregnancy conditions, where 84 876 and 80 626 visits were in warm and cold period, respectively. Positive statistically significant (P < .05) associations were mainly observed for concentrations lagged by 4 and more days. In warm period, an increase of the the Air Quality Health Index by a 1 unit gives the following elevated relative risk with 95% CI: relative risk = 1.008 (95% CI: 1.000, 1.017), 1.015 (1.006, 1.023), and 1.010 (1.001, 1.019) for lags 11, 12, and 13 days, respectively. The analogous results for O3-h8 are 1.010 (0.999, 1.021), 1.017 (1.006, 1.028), and 1.012 (1.001, 1.023) for an increase by a 19.0 ppb. Conclusion: The results indicate that concentration of urban ambient air pollution affects the number of emergency department visits related to pregnancy and the puerperium.

Keywords

References

  1. Burbank AJ, Peden DB. Assessing the impact of air pollution on childhood asthma morbidity: how, when, and what to do. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2018;18(2):124-131.
  2. Szyszkowicz M, de Angelis N. Ambient air pollution and emergency department visits in Toronto, Canada. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021;28(22):28789- 28796.
  3. Burnett R, Chen H, Szyszkowicz M, et al. Global estimates of mortality associated with long-term exposure to outdoor fine particulate matter. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018;115(38):9592-9597.
  4. Szyszkowicz M, Thomson EM, Colman I, Rowe BH. Ambient air pollution exposure and emergency department visits for substance abuse. PLoS One. 2018;13(6):e0199826.
  5. Ciencewicki J, Jaspers I. Air pollution and respiratory viral infection. Inhal Toxicol. 2007;19(14):1135-1146.
  6. Szyszkowicz M, de Angelis N. Air pollution and emergency department visits for infectious diseases in Toronto, Canada. Preprints. 2022.
  7. Yang CY, Chang CC, Chuang HY, Ho CK, Wu TN, Tsai SS. Evidence for increased risks of preterm delivery in a population residing near a freeway in Taiwan. Arch Environ Health. 2003;58(10):649-654.
  8. Schifano P, Lallo A, Asta F, De Sario M, Davoli M, Michelozzi P. Effect of ambient temperature and air pollutants on the risk of preterm birth, Rome 2001-2010. Environ Int. 2013;61:77-87.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Otorhinolaryngology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Mieczysław Szyszkowicz This is me
0000-0001-7022-3267
Canada

Publication Date

August 1, 2022

Submission Date

March 31, 2022

Acceptance Date

May 3, 2022

Published in Issue

Year 2022 Volume: 5 Number: 2

APA
Szyszkowicz, M. (2022). Urban Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits Related to Pregnancy Complications. European Journal of Rhinology and Allergy, 5(2), 49-54. https://doi.org/10.5152/ejra.2022.22008
AMA
1.Szyszkowicz M. Urban Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits Related to Pregnancy Complications. Eur J Rhinol Allergy. 2022;5(2):49-54. doi:10.5152/ejra.2022.22008
Chicago
Szyszkowicz, Mieczysław. 2022. “Urban Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits Related to Pregnancy Complications”. European Journal of Rhinology and Allergy 5 (2): 49-54. https://doi.org/10.5152/ejra.2022.22008.
EndNote
Szyszkowicz M (August 1, 2022) Urban Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits Related to Pregnancy Complications. European Journal of Rhinology and Allergy 5 2 49–54.
IEEE
[1]M. Szyszkowicz, “Urban Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits Related to Pregnancy Complications”, Eur J Rhinol Allergy, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 49–54, Aug. 2022, doi: 10.5152/ejra.2022.22008.
ISNAD
Szyszkowicz, Mieczysław. “Urban Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits Related to Pregnancy Complications”. European Journal of Rhinology and Allergy 5/2 (August 1, 2022): 49-54. https://doi.org/10.5152/ejra.2022.22008.
JAMA
1.Szyszkowicz M. Urban Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits Related to Pregnancy Complications. Eur J Rhinol Allergy. 2022;5:49–54.
MLA
Szyszkowicz, Mieczysław. “Urban Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits Related to Pregnancy Complications”. European Journal of Rhinology and Allergy, vol. 5, no. 2, Aug. 2022, pp. 49-54, doi:10.5152/ejra.2022.22008.
Vancouver
1.Mieczysław Szyszkowicz. Urban Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits Related to Pregnancy Complications. Eur J Rhinol Allergy. 2022 Aug. 1;5(2):49-54. doi:10.5152/ejra.2022.22008

You can find the current version of the Instructions to Authors at: https://www.eurjrhinol.org/en/instructions-to-authors-104

Starting on 2020, all content published in the journal is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 International
License which allows third parties to use the content for non-commercial purposes as long as they give credit to the original work. This license
allows for the content to be shared and adapted for non-commercial purposes, promoting the dissemination and use of the research published in
the journal.
The content published before 2020 was licensed under a traditional copyright, but the archive is still available for free access.