SARS-CoV-2 and the Pollution Exposure of the Population Near to an Industrial area on the Metropolitan Region in São Paulo State, Brazil

Abstract Background: The epidemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) yielded intense respiratory illness clusters and has progressed rapidly into a pandemic. Objective: Evaluating the pre-existing conditions (rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, obstructive pulmonary diseases (OPD), conjunctivitis, dermatitis, and primary hypothyroidism (PH)) in residents exposed to long-term air pollutants and their higher risk of complications in case of infection with SARS-CoV-2. Methods: 2004 residents of both sexes, aged 8-72 years old, had responded to a home-based questionnaire. SARS-CoV-2 cases were collected from the Greater ABC Region, an industrial region of the São Paulo State, Brazil, part of the São Paulo Metropolitan Region. With a focus on the Capuava Petrochemical Complex influence area, using the combination of the AERMOD dispersion model with the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) meteorological model (2016), we evaluated the Greater ABC region. Atmospheric pollutant concentrations were analyzed in 2017 using meteorological data from 2005 to 2009, correlating this data with the research done from 2003 to 2005. Results: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentrations presented the highest correlations between the rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, OPD, conjunctivitis, dermatitis and PH odds and pollutant concentrations. Conclusion: We demonstrated that the closer the individuals live from the Petrochemical complex, the higher their risk of death from SARS-CoV-2. Given the asymptomatic characteristic of the disease in its initial development individuals and the risk of its complications, we suggest that the employees of chemical plants and residents living around industrial areas must be continuously evaluated for SARS-CoV-2.