Indoor Epidemiological Study: Effects of Pollutant on Respiratory Diseases

Ornella Salimbene1, I. Salimbene2, E. Comino1, D. F. Affuso2, and C. Schettini2

1. Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Politecnico of Torino, Torino, Italy

2. Department of Pneumology of Pescopagano-Potenza AOR, S. Carlo Hospital, Potenza, Italy

Abstract: In a rural area of southern Italy, the correlation between indoor pollutants and two respiratory diseases (asthma and rhinitis) has been studied. Different environmental factors as altitude, microclimate, biomass burning and exposure to allergens of pets were examined in a sample of 100 asthmatics people. The research included social analysis and environmental analysis, furthermore clinical tests as Atopy, Eosinophilis and IgE were obtained for each patients. Through a cross-epidemiological study was observed that the seasonal rhinitis is higher in people using open fireplace (13% vs 8%) and moreover was observed that 62% of all patients examined have rhinitis and 59% of them use biomass burning (wood) in their fireplace. Clinical tests report that people using conventional heating (closed fireplace, wood stoves, pellet stove) have values of E%, Atopy and IgE, greater than patients who use open fireplace.The study remarks that population belongs to areas far from air pollution sources and 11% of the sample is exposed to outdoor allergens such as pollen, instead the remaining percent of simple is not subjects to specific workplace exposure. Finally the study quantified the costs of hospitalization for each patient (DRG 3200€) to highlight the economic damage (direct cost) caused to indoor air quality (IAQ).

Key words: IAQ, IFR, allergens, asthma, rhinitis