Abstract

BRAGA, Alfésio Luís Ferreira et al. Association between air pollution and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in Itabira, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Cad. Saúde Pública [online]. 2007, vol.23, suppl.4, pp. S570-S578. ISSN 0102-311X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2007001600017.

The city of Itabira, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, is located in the Espinhaço Mountain Range, an area that features large-scale mechanized iron ore pit mines. The current study evaluates the acute effects of inhalable particulate matter (PM₁₀) in terms of emergency room visits due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in Itabira. Generalized additive Poisson regression models were adopted, controlling for temperature, humidity, and both short and long-term seasonality. Increases of 10mg/m³ in PM₁₀ were associated with increases in respiratory emergency room visits of 4% (95%CI: 2.2-5.8), at lags 0 and 1 for children and adolescents younger than 13 years of age, and of 12% (95%CI: 8.5-15.5) on the three subsequent days for adolescents (13 to 19 years of age). For cardiovascular diseases, the effect was acute (4%; 95%CI: 0.8-8.5) and mainly for the 45 to 64 age group. These results show that PM₁₀ generated by open pit mining can lead to health problems in the exposed population.

Keywords : Particulate Matter; Air Pollution; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases.