Impact of a pollution breach at a coke oven factory on asthma control in nearby vulnerable adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous studies have related sulfur dioxide (SO₂) exposure to asthma exacerbations. We utilized the University of Pittsburgh Asthma Institute registry to study associations of asthma exacerbations between 2 geographically distinct populations of adults with asthma.

Objective

Our objective was to examine whether asthma symptoms worsened following a significant fire event that destroyed pollution control equipment at the largest coke works in the United States.

Methods

Two groups of patients with asthma, namely, those residing within 10 miles of the coke works fire (the proximal group [n = 39]) and those residing beyond that range (the control group [n = 44]), were geocoded by residential address. Concentrations of ambient air SO₂ were

SUBMITTER: Byrwa-Hill BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8273100 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature