The Health Impact of Particulate Matter Characteristic after the Intervention in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Abstract

The Health Impact of Particulate Matter Characteristic after the Intervention in Ulaanbaatar, MongoliaAbstract Number:2013 Delgerzul Lodoisamba*, Lodoysamba Sereeter, and Christa Hasenkopf Delgerzul Lodoisamba* Health Sciences University of Mongolia, Mongolia, E-mail Address: [email protected].com Search for more papers by this author , Lodoysamba Sereeter National University of Mongolia , Mongolia, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , and Christa Hasenkopf United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author AbstractBackground: Many interventions have been taken to reduce outdoor air pollution specially the particulate matter in Ulaanbaatar which is one of the most polluted cities in the world especially during wintertime. Aims: In this study, we compared the effects of short-term exposure to PM2.5 and its’ chemical composition on daily morbidity before and after the intervention in Ulaanbaatar.Methods: Mass concentration and chemical composition (33 elements) of PM2.5 was measured in the 9th Khoroo Sukhbaatar district in Ulaanbaatar were measured whole year, before (2008-2009) and after (2012-2013) the intervention. We collected data on hospital admissions for respiratory (ICD-10 J00-J99) and cardiovascular (I10-I99) disease from all hospitals in the district during the same period. We used a case-crossover design to estimate the risk of hospital admission in relation to the concentration and chemical composition of ambient PM2.5 on the same day.Results: The average annual concentrations of PM2.5 in the 9th Khoroo Sukhbaatar district were 375.09 ± 722.59 µg/m3 (mean ± SD) in 2008-2009, 139.63 ± 129.7 µg/m3 (mean ± SD), in 2012-2013. The total number of hospital admissions for respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease was decreased by 15%. Within one year, the risk of hospital admission for respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease increased by 1.8% (95% CI 0.7-3.0%; p <0.01), in 2008-2009 and 1.3% (95% CI 0.94-9.4%; p <0.01), in 2012-2013 respectively, for a 100 µg/m3 increase in daily mean PM2.5 concentration.Conclusions: Our study shows that interventions taken in Ulaanbaatar have reduced ambient levels of PM, especially during the cold period. The short-term effect of particulate matter was associated with increases in hospital admission in both before and after the intervention.