PARTICULATE AIR-POLLUTION AND RESPIRATORY-DISEASE IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

This paper examines the associations between average daily particulate matter less than 10 mu m in diameter (PM(10)) and temperature with da ily outpatient visits for respiratory disease including asthma, bronch itis, and upper respiratory illness in Anchorage, Alaska, where there are few industrial sources of air pollution. In Anchorage, PM(10) is c omposed primarily of earth crustal material and volcanic ash. Carbon m onoxide is measured only during the winter months. The number of outpa tients visits for respiratory diagnoses during the period 1 May 1992 t o 1 March 1994 were derived from medical insurance claims for state an d municipal employees and their dependents covered by Aetna insurance. The data were filtered to reduce seasonal trends and serial autocorre lation and adjusted for day of the week. The results show that an incr ease of 10 mu g/m(3) in PM(10) resulted in a 3-6% increase in visits f or asthma and a 1-3% increase in visits for upper respiratory diseases . Winter CO concentrations were significantly associated with bronchit is upper respiratory illness, but not with asthma. Winter CO was highl y correlated with automobile exhaust emissions. These findings are con sistent with the results of previous studies pf particulate pollution in other urban areas and provide evidence that the coarse fraction of PM(10) may affect the health of working people.