Risk assessment of PM<sub>2.5</sub> to child residents in Brazilian Amazon region with biofuel production
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Exposure to fine fractions of particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) is associated with increased hospital admissions and mortality for respiratory and cardiovascular disease in children and the elderly. This study aims to...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Book |
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BMC,
2012-09-01T00:00:00Z.
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| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Exposure to fine fractions of particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) is associated with increased hospital admissions and mortality for respiratory and cardiovascular disease in children and the elderly. This study aims to estimate the toxicological risk of PM<sub>2.5</sub> from biomass burning in children and adolescents between the age of 6 and 14 in Tangará da Serra, a municipality of Subequatorial Brazilian Amazon.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Risk assessment methodology was applied to estimate the risk quotient in two scenarios of exposure according to local seasonality. The potential dose of PM<sub>2.5</sub> was estimated using the Monte Carlo simulation, stratifying the population by age, gender, asthma and Body Mass Index (BMI).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Male asthmatic children under the age of 8 at normal body rate had the highest risk quotient among the subgroups. The general potential average dose of PM<sub>2.5</sub> was 1.95 μg/kg.day (95% CI: 1.62 - 2.27) during the dry scenario and 0.32 μg/kg.day (95% CI: 0.29 - 0.34) in the rainy scenario. During the dry season, children and adolescents showed a toxicological risk to PM<sub>2.5</sub> of 2.07 μg/kg.day (95% CI: 1.85 - 2 .30).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Children and adolescents living in the Subequatorial Brazilian Amazon region were exposed to high levels of PM<sub>2.5</sub> resulting in toxicological risk for this multi-pollutant. The toxicological risk quotients of children in this region were comparable or higher to children living in metropolitan regions with PM<sub>2.5</sub> air pollution above the recommended limits to human health.</p> |
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| Item Description: | 10.1186/1476-069X-11-64 1476-069X |