PM10 and Risk of Mortality in Iran: Air Quality Modeling

Background & Aims:

The aim of this study was to assess the health effect of exposure to particulate matter (PM10) in the selected Iranian west and southwest cities.

The hourly in-situ PM10 data were transformed to daily, then used to assess mortality among under exposed people of Ahvaz, Khorramabad, and Ilan by the baseline incidence and relative risk (RR). The rate of total mortality (M-total), cardiovascular mortality (M-CV), and respiratory mortality (M-RD) were calculated finally.

Our results revealed that the highest percentage of person-days (%PDE) was estimated at 130-139 μg m-3. In addition, 6.8% (95% CI: 5.8-7.8%), 6.0% (95% CI: 5.1-6.9%), and 3.7% (95% CI: 3.1-4.2%) of M-total, 7.3% (95% CI: 4.8-15.1%), 6.4% (95% CI: 4.1-13.4%), and 3.9% (95% CI: 2.5-8.5%) of M-CV, and eventually 10.6% (95% CI: 7.3-15.1%), 9.3% (95% CI: 6.4-24.1%), and 5.8% (95% CI: 4.0-16.0%) of M-RD were for PM10 exposure more than 10 μg m-3 in the studied cities.

To control dust storms, some efforts should be organized on a governmental scale, including the desertification of the dust sources by green space. Further, health-care centers should recommend the public to use proven individual air masks.