Jiayun Yao1, Dave M Stieb2, Eric Taylor3, Sarah B Henderson4. 1. Environmental Health Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 W 12th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada. 2. Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, 420-757 West Hastings St. - Federal Tower, Vancouver, BC, V6C 1A1, Canada. 3. BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, 525 Superior St., Victoria, BC, V8V 1T7, Canada. 4. Environmental Health Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 W 12th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada. sarah.henderson@bccdc.ca.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Wildfire smoke is an important source of air pollution associated with a range of cardiopulmonary health conditions. The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is the most widely used tool in Canada to communicate with the public about air pollution, but it may not adequately reflect health risks from wildfire smoke. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of the AQHI and four alternate AQHI-Plus amendments to predict adverse population health effects from wildfire smoke. METHODS: The maximum 1-h values of the AQHI and the four amendments were calculated for each 48-h period of the wildfire seasons from 2010 to 2017 for 32 health units in British Columbia. Generalized Poisson models were used to estimate the association between these values and daily counts of five health outcomes: all-cause mortality; physician visits for all circulatory causes; visits for all respiratory causes, including asthma; asthma-specific visits; and dispensations of salbutamol sulfate (i.e., Ventolin®). Model fit was evaluated with the Akaike information criterion. RESULTS: The AQHI and the four amendments were all associated with all five health outcomes. The AQHI exhibited best fit to the all-cause mortality and circulatory physician visits during all wildfire seasons, while the 1-h PM2.5Only AQHI-Plus exhibited best fit to the asthma-related outcomes during all wildfire seasons. CONCLUSION: Individuals with common respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are particularly susceptible to wildfire smoke. As such, the 1-h PM2.5Only AQHI-Plus amendment was recommended for communicating about potential health effects of air quality during wildfire seasons in BC.
OBJECTIVE: Wildfire smoke is an important source of air pollution associated with a range of cardiopulmonary health conditions. The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is the most widely used tool in Canada to communicate with the public about air pollution, but it may not adequately reflect health risks from wildfire smoke. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of the AQHI and four alternate AQHI-Plus amendments to predict adverse population health effects from wildfire smoke. METHODS: The maximum 1-h values of the AQHI and the four amendments were calculated for each 48-h period of the wildfire seasons from 2010 to 2017 for 32 health units in British Columbia. Generalized Poisson models were used to estimate the association between these values and daily counts of five health outcomes: all-cause mortality; physician visits for all circulatory causes; visits for all respiratory causes, including asthma; asthma-specific visits; and dispensations of salbutamol sulfate (i.e., Ventolin®). Model fit was evaluated with the Akaike information criterion. RESULTS: The AQHI and the four amendments were all associated with all five health outcomes. The AQHI exhibited best fit to the all-cause mortality and circulatory physician visits during all wildfire seasons, while the 1-h PM2.5Only AQHI-Plus exhibited best fit to the asthma-related outcomes during all wildfire seasons. CONCLUSION: Individuals with common respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are particularly susceptible to wildfire smoke. As such, the 1-h PM2.5Only AQHI-Plus amendment was recommended for communicating about potential health effects of air quality during wildfire seasons in BC.
Entities:
Keywords:
Air Quality Health Index (AQHI); Air quality; Asthma; Wildfire smoke
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