Impact of air pollution on cardiorespiratory morbidities in Southern Thailand

Background: /Objectives: Air pollution seriously threatens human health; even low-level exposure can have negative consequences. The study aimed to explore the influence of air pollution on cardiorespiratory diseases, adjusting for climatic conditions. Methods: Poisson regression using a generalized additive model (GAMs) and a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) were used to explore the relationships between air pollution and cardiorespiratory illnesses. Results: Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and lung cancer were reported at 88 per 10,000 population. Annual PM10 and PM2.5 levels were higher than WHO guidelines. PM10 and PM2.5 appeared to be on an upward trend, while NO2 and SO2 appeared to be on a downward trend. The 10 % increase in PM10 was significantly associated with an increase in inpatient department (IPD) admissions for asthma at a lag of 12-13 days and lung cancer at a lag of 14-15 days, whereas PM2.5 was associated with an increase in IPD admissions for asthma at a lag of 10-14 days and 13-15 days, respectively. A 10 % rise in PM10 was associated with an increase in COPD inpatient admissions at lag 2-6 days, while PM2.5 was associated with an increase in cardiovascular inpatient admissions at lag 4-5 days. A 10 % increase in NO2 increased admissions to COPD at all 15 lags, whereas a 10 % increase in CO increased admissions to lung cancer at lags 9-15 days. Conclusions: The rise in PM2.5 and PM10 levels in this area leads to increased exposure to PM pollutants, hence elevating the likelihood of developing cardiorespiratory diseases.