Quantification of mortality and hospital admission due to cardiovascular and respiratory disease attributed to PM10 in 7 metropolitans of Iran during 2011-2012

Considering health and public health risks, particulate matters are the main pollutants of air and are associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity in long and short term exposures. Hence, the present study was performed with the aim of estimating the health impacts attributable to PM10 in the 7 cities of Mashhad, Tabriz, Isfahan, Shiraz, Arak, Ahwaz, and Urmia (Iran) during 2011-2012 using the AirQ model.
In this cross-sectional study, to achieve the purposes of the study, initially, data on PM10 pollutant were obtained from the Department of Environment of the studied cities. After data validation, the required statistical parameters were calculated in order to quantify the health effects. The processed data were imported to the AirQ model, and the results of the model for each city were presented in the form of mortality and morbidity cases.
Findings: The highest annual average concentrations of PM10 were observed in Ahwaz and Isfahan and were 193 and 127 μg/m3, respectively, which were almost 9.65 and 6.35 times the Iranian and World Health Organization (WHO) standards (20 µg/m3). Cumulative number of total mortality cases attributed to PM10 in Mashhad, Tabriz, Isfahan, Shiraz, Arak, Ahwaz, and Urmia were estimated at 634, 302, 542, 362, 123, 549, and 169 cases, respectively. From the total 122282 cases of hospital admission due to respiratory disease in the 7 cities, 8144 cases were attributed to PM10.
The current study emphasized the adverse effects of particulate matter on human health. Therefore, it revealed the necessity of appropriate planning and implementation of effective measures to decrease the health consequences of air pollutants, such as particulate matter, on public health and control their detrimental effects.