Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Mohammad Hossein Vahidi ¹
• Farzad Fanaei ²
• Majid Kermani ³

¹ Department of Environmental Engineering, Islamic Azad University, West Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

² Student Research Committee, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

³ Research Center of Environmental Health Technology; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ambient concentrations of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ on the health-related aspects including the total mortality, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and hospital admissions due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in Karaj, Alborz Province, Iran, during 2012–2016 using the AirQ2.2.3 software. The effects of meteorological parameters on the PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ levels were also investigated. Materials and Methods: Meteorological parameters, population, and the pollutant data were obtained from the Department of Environmental Protection, Karaj (Alborz, Iran). Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 24 software to study the relationship between the PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations and the meteorological parameters. Results: Our results showed a direct relationship between the PM₁₀ concentration and the temperature (r = 0.34, P < 0.018) and relative humidity (r = 0.37, P < 0.5). However, there was a negative relationship between the PM₁₀ concentration with wind speed (r < −0.328, P < 0.014) and precipitation (r < −0.179, P < 0.327). Similarly, there was a direct relationship between the PM_2.5 concentration and the temperature (r = 0.41, P < 0.014) and relative humidity (r = 0.37, P < 0.05). On the other hand, a negative relationship was observed between the PM_2.5 concentration with wind speed (r < −0.138, P < 0.010) and precipitation (r < −0.12, P < 0.201). The total number of death, death due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and hospital admissions due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases were equal to 1619, 1096, 306, and 4822, respectively. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the concentrations of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ should be reduced through applying the management strategies to improve the health of the residents in Karaj city.

Keywords

• Air pollution
• AirQ2.2.3 software
• meteorological parameters
• mortality
• PM10
• PM2.5