Abstract

Talcahuano and Hualpén counties are one of the most highly industrial-polluted coastal zones in Chile, overhanging the iron foundry industry, coal burning power plants, chemical industry, and petroleum refinery, etc. The relationship between air pollution from PM 2.5 measured at the Libertad monitoring station and health effects as the daily number of deaths and hospital admissions, for specific cardiovascular and respiratory diseases were studied. The results were compared with a health perception survey applied to the local population during spring 2008. Significant statistical associations were found between daily mortality and morbidity in Talcahuano-Hualpén area for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and daily PM 2.5 concentration, coinciding with the health perception of the inhabitants from these counties. The results suggest that point sources may be responsible for increased mortality in that industrial area. This has an important implication in relation with the size and chemical composition of the particles, but also for monitoring and control strategies. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 103rd AWMA Annual Conference and Exhibition (Alberta, Canada 6/22-25/2010).