Short-term effects of black smoke on cardiovascular hospitalization in elderly in Ni , Serbia

In past few years numerous epidemiological studies bring new evidence on the effects of particle air pollution on cardiovascular hospitalizations. The aim of our paper was to investigate the association between ambient concentrations of black smoke (BS) and daily total non-accidental cardiovascular hospitalizations in elderly in Ni . The daily mean number of all age cardiovascular hospitalizations was 12.46±6.26 (0 to 38) and 5.92±3.29 (0 to 20) among person ≥ 65 yrs. Daily measurements for black smoke (BS) and SO2, as well as the daily number of cardiovascular hospitalization among person ≥ 65 yrs of age, have been collected. BS (μg/m3) was measured by the refractometry method and SO2 (μg/m3) by spectrophotometer. Generalized linear model extending Poisson regression was applied. The effects of time trend, seasonal variations, day of week, temperature, relative humidity and barometric pressure were adjusted. Estimated OR of unipolutant regression model for among person ≥ 65 yrs was 1.00135 (95% CI: 0,97835 to 1,02489), and estimated OR of bipolutant model was 1,00975 (95% CI: 0,99457 to 1,02394) per 10μg/m3. The results do not support findings from previous studies that had shown an increase in the number of cardiovascular hospitalization in elderly in association with black smoke. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 42008 i br. 43014]