Effects of air pollutant emission on the prevalence of respiratory and circulatory system diseases in Linyi, China

• Published in: Environmental geochemistry and health 2021-11, Vol.43 (11), p.4475-4491
• Main Authors: Wu, Xin, Li, Dong, Feng, Meihui, Liu, Houfeng, Li, Hongmei, Yang, Jing, Wu, Pengcheng, Lei, Xunjie, Wei, Min, Bo, Xin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air pollution; Air pollution control; Air pollution effects; Circulatory system; Correlation; Diseases; Distribution; Earth and Environmental Science; Emissions; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental management; Environmental policy; Geochemistry; Health promotion; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Mathematical analysis; Original Paper; Pollutants; Pollution control; Pollution sources; Public Health; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory disorders; Soil Science & Conservation; Spatial distribution; Suburban areas; Terrestrial Pollution; Urban areas
• ISSN: 0269-4042; 1573-2983
• DOI: 10.1007/s10653-021-00931-0

As a typical industrial city, Linyi has suffered severe atmospheric pollution in recent years. Meanwhile, a high incidence of respiratory and circulatory diseases has been observed in Linyi. The relationship between air pollutants and the prevalence of respiratory and circulatory system diseases in Linyi is still unclear, and therefore, there is an urgent need to assess the human health risks associated with air pollutants. In this study, the number of outpatient visits and spatial distribution of respiratory and circulatory diseases were first investigated. To clarify the correlation between diseases and air pollutant emissions, the residential intake fraction (IF) of air pollutants was calculated. The results showed that circulatory and respiratory diseases accounted for 62.32% of the total causes of death in 2015. The incidence of respiratory diseases was high in the winter, and outpatient visits were observed for more males (60.9%) than females (39.1%). The spatial distribution suggested that outpatient visits for respiratory and circulatory diseases were concentrated in the main urban area of Linyi, including the Hedong District, Lanshan District, and Luozhuang District, and especially at the junction of these three areas. After calculating the IF combined with the characteristics of pollution sources, meteorological conditions, and population data, a high IF value was concentrated in urban and suburban areas, which was consistent with the high incidence of diseases. Moreover, high R values and a significant correlation ( R  > 0.6, p