were used. To evaluate the exposures both short-term (hourly and daily) data and long term (yearly) data during 45 years were analysed. For health risk assessment the relationship between exposure and biological effects of pollutants published by the WHO and the US EPA were employed.Results: During the studied period annual average concentrations of PM 10 ranged from 25 to 96 µg/m 3 ; PM 2.5 from 24 to 45 µg/m 3 ; SO 2 from 3.4 to 101.5 µg/m 3 ; NO 2 from 17.76 to 51.17 µg/m 3 ; benzene from 0.24 to 9.2 µg/m 3 ; benzo[a]pyrene from 2.1 to 14 ng/m 3 ; arsenic from 1.2 to 9.5 ng/m 3 . Since the turn of the 80s and 90s of the 20th century trend of air pollutant concentrations has been decreasing until the turn of millennium, when it stopped, and it has been constant until present time. However, presented results demonstrate that the citizens of Ostrava have been exposed to relatively high concentrations of pollutants in comparison to other similar cities. The most significant pollutants contributing to health risks are airborne dust (PM 10 , PM 2.5 ), benzene and benzo[a]pyrene. The long-term average health risk of PM 10 has increased in case of postneonatal infant mortality up to 30%; prevalence of bronchitis in children up to 61%; and incidence of chronic bronchitis in adults up to 89%. The long-term average health risk of PM 2.5 increased for all-cause mortality in persons aged 30+ years up to 22%; cardiopulmonary related mortality up to 25%; and lung cancer related mortality up to 39%. The highest carcinogenic risk is observed in benzo[a]pyrene, when the range of individual lifetime carcinogenic risk is up to 1.25*10 −3 . This assessment is valid according to the strict carcinogenic risk by the WHO, while the maximum carcinogenic risk according the US EPA is 7.2*10 −5 . Conclusions: A significant reduction of the pollutants' concentrations in Ostrava in the nineties of the last century does not mean a required improvement of outdoor air quality to the desired level. Persisting episodes with a very strong short-term increase of the concentration of PM 10 and PM 2.5 , as well as long-term load of these substances on the population is very high. Health risks from such burdens are likely to lead to a higher mortality and morbidity especially from specific diseases.
SUMMARY Aim:The Ostrava region suffers from high levels of air pollution during winter inversions. We investigated the association between short-term elevations of air pollutant concentrations and worsening of respiratory problems, use of asthma medication and restriction of daily activities in asthmatic patients in Ostrava.Methods: One-hundred and forty-seven child and adolescent patients (aged 6-18 years) with a confirmed diagnosis of mild to moderate persistent asthma were included in the study. Participants' parents completed diaries covering the period of November 2013 to February 2014; this analysis included 18,228 person-days. Daily smoothed maps of outdoor concentrations of particulate matter (PM 10 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) were constructed from routine monitoring data, and participants' daily exposures were estimated on the basis of time spent at home and at school. The associations between health outcomes and exposure to air pollutants were estimated using the multiple logistic regression method.Results: The odds ratios (OR) of the combined outcome for wheezing and/or difficulty in breathing, per 10 µg/m 3 increase in the mean 24-h exposure were 1.07 (95% confidence interval 1.04-1.11) for PM 10 , 1.30 (1.18-1.44) for NO 2 , and 1.37 (1.18-1.59) for SO 2 . Additional inhaler use (in addition to usual medication) was also more frequent at higher air pollutant concentrations; the odds ratios per 10 µg/m 3 increase in the mean 24-h exposure were 1.05 (1.02-1.07) for PM 10 , 1.19 (1.10-1.30) for NO 2 , and 1.26 (1.11-1.43) for SO 2 . Associations were less consistent for other health outcomes.Conclusions: These results suggest moderately strong associations between air pollutant concentrations and respiratory difficulties among asthmatic children and adolescents. More detailed analyses are required to confirm these preliminary findings.
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