Health Impact from Air Pollution among People Living in Industrialized Communities with Standard Air Quality, Chana District of Songkhla Province, Thailand, 2012 - ผลกระทบทางสุขภาพจากมลพิษทางอากาศในประชาชน ที่อาศัยบริเวณแหล่งอุตสาหกรรมที่มีคุณภาพอากาศอยู่ใน เกณฑ์มาตรฐาน อำเภอจะนะ จังหวัดสงขลา ปี 2555

Abstract

Epidemiological studies show short-term health effects on morbidity of exposure to ambient air
pollution. In Chana district, there are factories which air pollutant concentrations are below Thai standard.
But there were no studies on the association of air pollution and health effects. This study aimed
to evaluate the association between ambient air pollutants at concentrations below Thai standards and
symptoms among Chana residents. Prospective cohort study was conducted between 18 June and 30
September 2012. The associations of daily ambient air pollution (oxide of nitrogen, NOX; sulfur
dioxide, SO2; ozone, O3 and particulate matters, PM) and health effects (neurological, respiratory and
dermatological) were examined in Chana citizens aged over 18years who live near the power plant and
visited on their Health centers. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate association,
controlling temperature, relative humidity, rain volume and barometric pressure. We found statistically
significant association with NOX for respiratory symptoms during current week of air pollution exposure
[coefficient = log of 0.635, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.241, 1.029]. O3 was associated with
respiratory symptoms [log of 0.084, 95%CI 0.054, 0.113] after exposure for 1 week. PM2.5 was
associated with neurological symptoms as dose-response relationship [log of 0.023 for current week of
exposure, 95%CI 0.002, 0.043, log of 0.026 after 1 week of exposure, 95%CI 0.007, 0.044 and
log of 0.028 after 2 week of exposure, 95%CI 0.007, 0.049]. No association of SO2 with all health
effects. In conclusion, our results were consistent with other literatures on the health effects of air
pollutants at concentrations below standards.
Key words: air pollution, health effect, generalized estimating equations, Thailand