Title : Air pollution and respiratory disease risks in residential areas near smelters in korea: A retrospective cohort study using national health information database

Abstract:

Non-ferrous metal smelters produce 450,000 tons of output (3.1% of the world’s output), with copper ranking as the 10th most impactful metal in terms of health. The latest data from smelters shows the overall average concentration of SO2, NO2, O3, PM10, and PM2.5 in 2020 were 8.2 ppb, 7.5 ppb, 30.8 ppb, 21.3 μg/m3, and 13.2 μg/ m3, respectively. The maximum concentrations were 390 ppb, 50 ppb, 167 ppb, 148 μg/ m3, and 107 μg/ m3, respectively. The Art Corporation model was used to investigate the resident health follow-up management (cohort study) in the area, using SAS Enterprise Guide to determine the source of the diffuse pollution. The highest average concentration of carcinogenic PAHs (polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) in the air was found in Seokpo 4-ri (60.7 ng/ m3), followed by Seokpo 1-ri (48.6 ng/ m3) and Seokpo. Among the respiratory diseases, the following were correlated with the exposed area and the control area: Acute upper respiratory tract disease (J00-J06), other upper respiratory tract diseases (J32-J39), acute lower respiratory tract infection (excluding pneumonia) (J20-J22), chronic lower respiratory disease (persons) (excluding J40-J47, J45-J46), asthma (J45-J46), rhinitis (J30-J31), respiratory disease (J00-J99), and cough (R05). The concentration of environmental pollutants and inconveniences faced by residents due to noise and scattered dust caused by transportation vehicles needs to be considered. Therefore, a life questionnaire centered on residents and workers can help gather valuable insights