Abstract
The increase in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) incidence in children is worrying and not yet fully explored. It is suggested that probably air pollution exposure could contribute to the development of T1DM. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the concentration of gaseous pollutants including, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM) in the air, and the number of new cases of T1DM in children. The number of new cases of T1DM was obtained from the Clinic of Paediatrics, Diabetology, and Endocrinology, Medical University of Gdańsk. The number of children of 0–18 years old in Pomeranian Voivodeship was acquired from the Statistical Yearbook. The concentrations of PM10 absorbance, NO2, NOx, SO2, and CO were measured at 41 measuring posts, between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016. It was detected that the average annual concentration of PM10 was higher than the value acceptable to the WHO. Furthermore, the average 24-hour concentration of PM10 was 92 μg/m3 and was higher compared to the acceptable value of 50 μg/m3 (acc. to EU and WHO). Moreover, the number of new cases of T1DM showed a correlation with the annual average concentration of PM10 (β = 2.396, p < 0.001), SO2 (β = 2.294, p < 0.001), and CO (β = 2.452, p < 0.001). High exposure to gaseous pollutants and particulate matter in ambient air may be one of the factors contributing to the risk of developing T1DM in children. Therefore, it is important to take action to decrease air pollutant emissions in Poland. It is crucial to gradually but consistently eliminate the use of solid fuels, such as coal and wood in households, in favour of natural gas and electricity. The development of new technologies to improve air quality, such as “best available techniques” (BAT) or renewable energy sources (water, wind, and solar generation) is of critical importance as well.
Highlights
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) air pollution contributed to 3.7 million premature deaths in 2012 globally, out of which 280000 were recorded in Europe, which constitutes a significant health problem related to environmental pollution [1, 2]. e concentration of particles with a diameter lower than 10 micrometers (PM10) consisting of various elements of the organic and nonorganic matter is an acknowledged indicator of air pollution
Dobreva et al emphasize in their work the adverse effects of air pollution on the immune system. e authors demonstrated that air pollution, and PM2.5 concentrations in particular can modulate cytokine production and change the balance between Tumour Necrosis Factor α (TNFα) and the anti-inflammatory production of interleukin 10 (IL-10) in teenagers living in cities of the Stara Zagora region in the south-east of Bulgaria [14]
Data on the annual average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter, particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10), and average 24-hour concentration of PM10, was obtained from the Annual Evaluation of Air Quality 2015-2016, report provided by the Voivodeship Inspectorate of Environmental Protection (WIOS) in Gdansk [22]
Summary
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) air pollution contributed to 3.7 million premature deaths in 2012 globally, out of which 280000 were recorded in Europe, which constitutes a significant health problem related to environmental pollution [1, 2]. e concentration of particles with a diameter lower than 10 micrometers (PM10) consisting of various elements of the organic and nonorganic matter is an acknowledged indicator of air pollution. Research conducted in Poland showed that 5.201 asthma symptoms and 234 hospital respiratory admissions were caused annually by air pollution [15]. Ciaula analysed data collected from 16 European countries (excluding Poland) emitting pollutants into the air and compared them with the prevalence of T1DM in children. He showed that in the investigated European countries an increase in pollution with PM10 corresponds to an increase in the incidence of T1DM [18]. The relationship between the concentration of PM10, gaseous pollutants in air, and the number of new cases of T1DM in children in the Pomeranian Voivodeship was investigated
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