Journal of Public Health Medicine 25:369-371 (2003)
© Faculty of Public Health 2003; all rights reserved.
Health effects of a sulphur dioxide air pollution episode
Terry P. Brown, Environmental Epidemiologist
Lesley Rushton, Head of Epidemiology
MRC Institute for Environment and Health, University of Leicester, 94 Regent Road, Leicester LE1 7DD
Moira A. Mugglestone, Deputy Director
National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health, 22 Sussex Place, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RG
David F. Meechan, Director
East Midlands Public Health Observatory, Mill 3, Pleasley Vale Business Park, Outgang Lane, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG19 8RL
Address correspondence to Dr M. A. Mugglestone. E-mail: mmugglestone{at}rcog.org.uk
Background A sulphur dioxide (SO2) episode occurred in the United Kingdom in 1998. The worst affected area was the city of Nottingham.
Methods Emergency hospital admissions in Nottingham in the episode week were compared with those in the previous week.
Results A statistically significant increase in admissions for all respiratory diseases occurred in the episode week (odds ratio (OR) = 1.40, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) = 1.00–1.94). Ten of the 25 excess admissions were for asthma, although the excess for asthma alone was not statistically significant (OR = 1.90, 95 per cent CI = 0.87–4.15).
Conclusions The excess admissions for respiratory diseases could have been caused by exposure to SO2, to other pollutants present in increased concentrations during the pollution episode, or by seasonal variations in the frequency of asthma symptoms, or prevailing weather conditions. This study shows how simple analyses of routinely collected health data can be used to assess public health impacts of pollution episodes.
Keywords: air pollution episode, sulphur dioxide, respiratory disease, routinely collected health data