Abstract
Background: This study attempted to measure the environmental burden of disease by examining mortality and disability rates in South Korea, permitting international comparisons. Methods: Disability-adjusted life years (DALY) was used to analyze data from public records. Years of life lost (YLL) and years lost to disability (YLD) were measured in terms of incidence rate and number of deaths. Attributable risks were based on those for WHO Western Pacific Regions. For air pollution, attributable risk was calculated using local PM10 levels and relative risk. Results: The total Korean environmental burden of disease was 17.98 per 1000 persons and the most serious risk factor was air pollution, at 6.89per1000 persons. Occupation was the second highest contributing factor, at 3.29 per 1000 persons, followed by indoor air pollution at 2.91 per 1000 persons. The DALY of air-pollution (indoor and outdoor) was 9.80 per 1000 persons, accounting for more than half of the total environmental burden of disease. The burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and asthma were 4.07, 3.16, and 1.96 per 1000 persons, respectively. Conclusions: Respiratory illnesses comprised most of the disease burden, the majority of which was linked to air pollution. The present results are important as they could be used to make evidence-based decisions regarding the management of diseases and environmental-risk factors.
Highlights
As correlations between pollutants and health are increasingly drawing social attention, efforts to evaluate the relationship between environmental pollution and diseases have been undertaken worldwide, such as the 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) report on environmental burden of diseases
The burden of disease was calculated by multiplying Disability-adjusted life years (DALY) with Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) of environmental risk factors
For attributable risk of air pollution, regional PM10 levels based on the National Institute of Environmental Research (Ministry of Environment) data were used to determine the exposed population [19], and PAF was calculated using relative risks that were applicable to Korea based on a literature review [20,21,22,23,24]
Summary
As correlations between pollutants and health are increasingly drawing social attention, efforts to evaluate the relationship between environmental pollution and diseases have been undertaken worldwide, such as the 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) report on environmental burden of diseases. The 2000 WHO report listed 13 environmental risk factors: outdoor air pollution, indoor air pollution, water, sanitation, hygiene, climate change, occupation, noise, other housing risks, recreational environment, land use and built environment, other community risks, and radiation [1,2]. These reports indicated that South Korea ranked 50 among 191 countries, with a score of 26 for disability-adjusted life years (DALY) per 1,000 persons. Results: The total Korean environmental burden of disease was 17.98 per 1000 persons and the most serious risk factor was air pollution, at
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
