Correlation Analysis of Long Term Exposure of Particulate Matter and Vehicular Traffic, on the Incidence of Respiratory Diseases in Two Urban Areas in the Philippines

A number studies reported in literature have highlighted the role of road traffic in pushing up the levels of ambient particulate matter as well as the contribution of particulate matter in increasing the incidence of certain respiratory health endpoints. This study investigates the evidence of the impacts of traffic by looking at the situation at the city-level through the assessment of the relationship of PM10 concentration, traffic in passenger car units, and incidence of asthma and acute bronchitis among children ages 0 to 59 months in two major Philippine cities. Results indicate a positive correlation between annual level of particulates and traffic in both cities. Assessing the correlation between particulate pollution and public health requires quantitative knowledge about the relationship between exposure and health. The risk assessment conducted revealed that 8% and 12% of children getting sick of asthma in Quezon City and Makati City respectively may be attributed to particulate matter exposure. On the other hand, 3% and 6% of acute bronchitis cases in Quezon City and Makati City respectively are likely due to particulates. GIS was also utilized to estimate the PM10 concentration per district in both cities and the number of children that might be exposed to it. The study found that a sizable number of children in both cities live in polluted areas making PM10 a persistent environmental health hazard for children 0-59 months.