E-050

Abstract

Background: While power plant emissions are a significant source of air pollution, little research exists assessing the specific fractional contribution of power plant emissions on respiratory health in neighboring communities. Objectives:The aim of this study is to investigate the association between exposure to ambient NOx and SO2 attributed to power plant emissions from Orot Rabin, the largest coal power generating facility in the Eastern Mediterranean, and prevalence of obstructive pulmonary disease and related symptoms in neighboring cities.Methods: Two methods of assessing personal exposure to NOx and SO2 attributed to emissions from Orot Rabin power plant were investigated for 2244 participants who completed the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. The "source" approach was modeled after known stack emissions, and the "event" approach modeled after peak exposures from power plant plumes. Measured NOx and SO2 concentrations from 20 air-monitoring stations were spatially interpolated to participant residence by ordinary krigging technique from 2000-2007.Results: Participants with diagnosis of asthma and reporting respiratory symptoms had higher estimated exposure to NOx. Odds of having COPD, asthma or associated symptoms were not significantly associated with increasing quartile of exposure of any exposure metrics. The "source" approach of estimated power plant specific exposures showed a stronger dose-response relationship with reported respiratory outcomes than the "event" approach.Conclusions: Power plant specific exposures to NOx and SO2 at the levels recorded with the exposure assessments utilized were not significantly associated to respiratory health outcomes.