Association of short-term exposure to air pollution with emergency visits for respiratory diseases in children

Ambient air pollutants are health hazards to children. This study comprised 773,504 emergency department visits (EDVs) at 0–14 years of age with respiratory diseases in southern China. All air pollutants were positively associated with EDVs of total respiratory diseases, especially pneumonia. NO(2), PM(10), and PM(2.5) had intraday effects and cumulative effects on asthma EDVs. The effect of SO(2), PM(10), and PM(2.5) on pneumonia EDVs was stronger in girls than in boys. The effect of NO(2) on acute upper respiratory tract infection EDVs was greater in children aged 0–5 years old; however, the effect of PM(10) on acute upper respiratory tract infection EDVs was greater in the 6–14 years group. In a two-pollutant model, NO(2) was associated with bronchitis and pneumonia, and PM(10) was associated with acute upper respiratory tract infection. In this time-series study, NO(2) and PM(10) were risk indicators for respiratory diseases in children.