Investigation of Health Effects of Air Pollution in Yasuj, Iran, in 2016 Using AirQ+ Model

Air pollution is one of the most important health risk factors in the world and one of the major causes of death and disability in the world. According to the report of the World Health Organization in 2012, about 3.7 million people in the world die due to air pollution. The purpose of the present study was to determine and investigate the health effects of air pollution in Yasuj city in 2015 using the AirQ+ model.

In the present descriptive-analytical study conducted in 2019, the hourly concentrations of particulate pollutants with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, ozone and nitrogen dioxide in the monitoring station of Yasuj, Iran, from the environmental organization and related pressure and temperature information was obtained from the meteorological organization of the province in 2015. Validation of air quality data was done according to APHEKOM and WHO methodology, and the average specific to each pollutant was calculated and the final data file was entered into the model after processing. Finally, the city-specific annual population, the population at risk and the base incidence for each health outcome were prepared and entered into the model. At the end, the results were displayed in the form of mortality tables by the model. Collected data were analyzed using Kolmogorov Smirnov, Post hoc and Kruskal Wallis statistical tests.

The average concentration of pollutants with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, nitrogen dioxide and ozone were 21.68±13.91, 25.41±26.88, 25.41±6.92 and 25.69±6.92 micrograms/square meter, respectively. It was micrograms per square meter. The value of SOM weight 5 was also 17.83. Regarding the long-term effects in 2015, the attributed component and the number of attributed cases of natural deaths caused by nitrogen dioxide from pollutants with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns were less, which accounted for 6.01 and 6.79% of deaths, respectively. The total number of deaths caused by pollutants with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns and nitrogen dioxide were 23 and 20, respectively. Ozone had no effect on respiratory mortality (zero cases). In the case of natural mortality, the highest and lowest attributed components were observed in pollutants with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns and ozone, respectively.

Contrary to the insignificant effect of ozone pollutant and the non-attribution of deaths to this pollutant, for other pollutants such as pollutants with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns and nitrogen dioxide, effects on the number of deaths were observed, and these effects may impose direct and indirect costs on the city.