Association between air pollution exposure and allergic disease and bronchitis of children living near the No.6 Naphtha Cracker Complex
Date Issued
2015
Date
2015
Author(s)
Chiang, Tzu-Ying
Abstract
Background: The No. 6 Naphtha Cracker Complex is a petrochemical factory which is located in Yunlin county. Previous studies have found that adults living near the complex had higher exposure of heavy metals and cancer incidence rate. Limited studies for children have been done. The purpose of the study is to investigate the air pollution, atopic and respiratory diseases of children living in the vicinity of the No. 6 Naphtha Cracker Complex. Materials and Method: Our study area included 9 townships in Yunlin county near the No. 6 Naphtha Cracker Complex. We classified Taisi, Mailiao and Dongshih townships which were within 10km radius of the complex as high exposure (HE) area while we classified Erlun, Lunbei, Huwei, Baojhong, Sihhu and Yuanchang townships which were above 10km radius of the complex as low exposure (LE) area. We classified our study period from 1999 to 2010 as 4, 8 and 12 years after operation of the complex. Our study subjects was aged 11-14 years old in 2009-2011.Concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) were measured at Taisi and Lunbei air quality monitoring stations which used to represent air pollution in HE and LE areas. The numbers of hourly SO2 concentration above 75 ppb and three-year moving average 99th percentile of SO2 concentration were used to represent acute exposure from the complex of our study subjects. During 2009-2011 survey, levels of urinary V, Cu, As, Sr, Cd, Hg, Tl and Pb analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) were used to reflect current exposure of children from the complex. Our study selected asthma (ICD-9:493.x) , allergic rhinitis (ICD-9:477.x) and bronchitis (ICD-9:490.x-491.x) recorded by National health insurance research databases. Children with up than 3 times of code records within study period were used to calculate accumulated prevalence rates of these diseases in high and low exposure area over 3 periods. T-test and chi-square test were used to determine difference of SO2 pollution and accumulated prevalence rates of diseases between HE and LE areas. ANCOVA test was used to determine difference of heavy metal exposure after we adjusted age, gender, personal behaviors such as smoking, drinking, betel nut eating, incense burning, mosquito incense burning, fish eating, water drinking and passive smoking. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratio of asthma, allergic rhinitis and bronchitis after adjusting by age, gender and personal behaviors. VII Result: Our study found that SO2 concentrations in HE area were significantly higher than those in LE area from 2001 to 2010.In 2009-2011, our study subjects in HE and LE area aged at 13.59 ± 0.69 and 13.68 ± 0.70 years old respectively. Children in HE area had significantly higher urinary V, Cu and Hg levels than children in LE area after a djusted age, gender and personal behaviors. Their average concentrations in HE and LE area were:1.01 ± 1.40 and 0.65± 0.58μg/g creatinine respectively for V; 13.61 ± 10.36 and 12.26 ± 11.82 μg/g creatinine respectively for Cu; 2.54 ± 2.20 and 2.06 ± 2.41 μg/g creatinine respectively for Hg. Retrospectively, our study subjects average at 2.65, 6.65 and 10.65 years old in 4, 8 and 12 years after operation of the complex respectively. Asthma’s accumulated prevalence rate of children in HE area (18.52%) was significantly higher than children in LE area (11.04%) in 4 years after operation of the complex; Allergic rhinitis’s accumulated prevalence rates of children in HE area (26.85%, 35.65%, 41.67%) were significantly higher than children in LE area (9.43%, 14.56%, 24.26%) in 4, 8 and 12 years respectively after operation of the complex; Bronchitis’s accumulated prevalence rates of children in HE area (8.33%, 8.80%) were significantly higher than children in LE area (3.50%, 4.60%) in 4 and 8 years after operation of the complex. Logistic regression found the odds ratio of children in HE area’s asthma was 1.63 (95%CI:0.96-2.78) times significantly higher than children in LE area in 4 years after operation of the complex.; allergic rhinitis of odds ratio for children in HE area were, 3.53 (95%CI:2.14-5.83), 2.99 (95%CI:1.92-4.66), 2.07 (95%CI:1.38-3.11) times significantly higher than children in LE area respectively in 4, 8 and 12 years after operation of the complex; bronchitis of odds ratio for children in HE area were, 3.05 (95%CI:1.37-6.78) and 2.27 (95%CI:1.10-4.70) times significantly higher than children in LE area in 4 and 8 years after operation of the complex respectively. Conclusion: Our study found higher SO2 concentrations in the air near the No. 6 Naphtha cracker complex from operation of the complex until now. Higher urinary V, Cu and Hg of children in HE area were also found. Children in HE area had significantly higher odds ratios of allergic rhinitis and bronchitis until respectively 12 and 8 years after operation of the complex. Marginally difference of asthma were found between HE and LE area.
Subjects
No.6 Naptha cracker complex
petrochemical factory
air pollutants
heavy metals
atopic disease
bronchitis
Type
thesis
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