Associations between Respiratory Health Outcomes and Coal Mine Fire PM2.5 Smoke Exposure: A Cross-Sectional Study

Johnson, Amanda L.; Gao, Caroline X.; Dennekamp, Martine; Williamson, Grant J.; Brown, David; Carroll, Matthew T. C.; Ikin, Jillian F.; Del Monaco, Anthony; Abramson, Michael J.; Guo, Yuming

doi:10.3390/ijerph16214262

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Associations between Respiratory Health Outcomes and Coal Mine Fire PM_2.5 Smoke Exposure: A Cross-Sectional Study

¹,

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Matthew T. C. Carroll

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Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia

School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia

Monash Rural Health – Churchill, Monash University, Northways Rd, Churchill, VIC 3842, Australia

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(21), 4262; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214262

Received: 23 September 2019 / Revised: 17 October 2019 / Accepted: 31 October 2019 / Published: 2 November 2019

(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Health)

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Abstract

In 2014, wildfires ignited a fire in the Morwell open cut coal mine, Australia, which burned for six weeks. This study examined associations between self-reported respiratory outcomes in adults and mine fire-related PM_2.5 smoke exposure. Self-reported data were collected as part of the Hazelwood Health Study Adult Survey. Eligible participants were adult residents of Morwell. Mine fire-related PM_2.5 concentrations were provided by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship. Personalised mean 24-h and peak 12-h mine fire-related PM_2.5 exposures were estimated for each participant. Data were analysed by multivariate logistic regression. There was some evidence of an association between respiratory outcomes and mine fire PM_2.5 exposure. Chronic cough was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.13 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.23) per 10 μg/m³ increment in mean PM_2.5 and 1.07 (1.02 to 1.12) per 100 μg/m³ increment in peak PM_2.5. Current wheeze was associated with peak PM_2.5, OR = 1.06 (1.02 to 1.11) and chronic phlegm with mean PM_2.5 OR = 1.10 (1.00 to 1.20). Coal mine PM_2.5 smoke exposure was associated with increased odds of experiencing cough, phlegm and wheeze. Males, participants 18–64 years, and those residing in homes constructed from non-brick/concrete materials or homes with tin/metal roofs had higher estimated ORs. These findings contribute to the formation of public health policy responses. View Full-Text

Keywords: fine particulates (PM_2.5); surveys; cough; wheeze; sputum

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MDPI and ACS Style

Johnson, A.L.; Gao, C.X.; Dennekamp, M.; Williamson, G.J.; Brown, D.; Carroll, M.T.C.; Ikin, J.F.; Del Monaco, A.; Abramson, M.J.; Guo, Y. Associations between Respiratory Health Outcomes and Coal Mine Fire PM_2.5 Smoke Exposure: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 4262. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214262

AMA Style

Johnson AL, Gao CX, Dennekamp M, Williamson GJ, Brown D, Carroll MTC, Ikin JF, Del Monaco A, Abramson MJ, Guo Y. Associations between Respiratory Health Outcomes and Coal Mine Fire PM_2.5 Smoke Exposure: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16(21):4262. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214262

Chicago/Turabian Style

Johnson, Amanda L., Caroline X. Gao, Martine Dennekamp, Grant J. Williamson, David Brown, Matthew T.C. Carroll, Jillian F. Ikin, Anthony Del Monaco, Michael J. Abramson, and Yuming Guo. 2019. "Associations between Respiratory Health Outcomes and Coal Mine Fire PM_2.5 Smoke Exposure: A Cross-Sectional Study" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 21: 4262. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214262

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Associations between Respiratory Health Outcomes and Coal Mine Fire PM_2.5 Smoke Exposure: A Cross-Sectional Study

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