Changes in emergency department visits for respiratory and cardiovascular disease after closure of a coking operation near Pittsburgh, PA

Abstract

Introduction: In Allegheny County (AC), PA, US, closure of a large coke plant in January 2016 presented an opportunity to investigate the contribution of air pollutants to health outcomes in a nearby community.

Materials and methods: The Allegheny County Health Department, (ACHD), Division of Air Quality, had begun monitoring pollutants near the plant since June 2011. The rates of hospitalizations and ED visits for cardio- vascular and respiratory disease were compared in the exposed community and two control areas: exposed control, with another coking operation; and unexposed control.

Results: Of the study and two control areas, particulate matter concentrations decreased the most in the study area, from 10.9 µg/m3 to 9.7 µg/m3. Benzene decreased substantially in that area, from 0.27 ppm to 0.10 ppm. ED visits for cardiovascular, respiratory, and asthma were significantly higher in the ex- posed group in 2015 compared to 2016. There were no temporal differences in either control groups. There was a 26.5% decrease in cardiovascular ED visits, a 37.9% decrease in respiratory ED visits, and a 3-5 fold decrease in ED visits due to asthma. These decreases were not seen in exposed and unex- posed control areas. A case-crossover analysis confirmed that daily ED visits were significantly associated with daily particulate matter levels, controlling for temperature.

Conclusion: With the closure of a large Coke Plant facility, we found that   a modest decrease in particulate matter and a notable decrease in benzene concentration were associated with a significant decrease in emergency room visits not previously documented in other studies.