ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AIR-POLLUTION AND MORTALITY DUE TO RESPIRATORY-DISEASES IN CHILDREN IN SAO-PAULO, BRAZIL - A PRELIMINARY-REPORT

This work presents the results of a time series study relating air pol lution and respiratory mortality in children under 5 years of age in t he metropolitan area of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Daily records of mortality (excluding neonatal mortality) for the period May 1990 to April 1991 w ere collected along with daily records of relative humidity, temperatu re, SO2, CO, particulates (PM10), O-3, and NOx concentrations. Using m ultiple regression methods we demonstrated a significant association b etween mortality due to respiratory diseases and the NOx levels. After controlling for weather and season effects, the odds of dying due to respiratory diseases, considering the mean levels of NOx in Sao Paulo, was estimated at 1.3 (+/-0.13). This result is in accord with previou s animal studies conducted by our group and indicates that air polluti on in Sao Paulo has reached levels high enough to have adverse health effects on the exposed population. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.