Abstract
Introduction:
We report on the regional chemical industrial park (IP) which consists of 17 plants and the national industrial toxic waste disposal site. Dozens of organic and non-organic air pollutants have been emitted from this IP over 25 years. This study was initiated due to public concern about exposure to the emissions. The objective was to evaluate possible association between the residence near the IP and mortality rates among the regional Arab-Bedouin population.
Methods:
Ecological study for the period over 1995–1997 years included the entire regional Bedouin population (97,216 people) stratified by gender and age groups. As an indirect measurement of exposure (based on the area in which residents complained about the odour related to the IP) we used the categorical distance (less and more than 20 km) to the IP. Mortality data for 10 groups of causes (by ICD-9) were obtained from the National Statistics Bureau. The estimation of association was based on the ratio of age-adjusted rates (RR) and the standardized mortality ratio (SMR), calculated by gender (the level of confidence intervals was 95%). The entire Arab population of the country was used as a reference population for SMR calculation.
Results:
Over the observation period, 814 cases of death were recorded. Crude mortality rates were 320.3 and 238.5 per 100,000 among males and females respectively. Among the males, residing within 20 km radius to the IP, RR for mortality due to all causes combined was 1.30 (1.12–1.65; p = 0.002) compared to the males from the more distant places of residence. SMR for this health indicator among the males living in the radius up to 20 km to the IP was 143.6 (124.0–166.3). For the same population, non-significant increase of RR was observed for each group of mortality causes (excluding infectious diseases). No differences in mortality rates due to the residential proximity to the IP were found in females.
Discussion and conclusion:
The study results suggest an association between the residential proximity to the IP and increased mortality rate in the Bedouin male population. The outcomes are in line with our previous reports on morbidity indicators and the residence near the IP. The findings, as well as public concern, give reason for further investigations designed to evaluate the role of the regional industrial pollutions in mortality rate in the male Bedouin population, and for additional enforcement of regulations helping to reduce or prevent completely the IP emissions.
We report on the regional chemical industrial park (IP) which consists of 17 plants and the national industrial toxic waste disposal site. Dozens of organic and non-organic air pollutants have been emitted from this IP over 25 years. This study was initiated due to public concern about exposure to the emissions. The objective was to evaluate possible association between the residence near the IP and mortality rates among the regional Arab-Bedouin population.
Methods:
Ecological study for the period over 1995–1997 years included the entire regional Bedouin population (97,216 people) stratified by gender and age groups. As an indirect measurement of exposure (based on the area in which residents complained about the odour related to the IP) we used the categorical distance (less and more than 20 km) to the IP. Mortality data for 10 groups of causes (by ICD-9) were obtained from the National Statistics Bureau. The estimation of association was based on the ratio of age-adjusted rates (RR) and the standardized mortality ratio (SMR), calculated by gender (the level of confidence intervals was 95%). The entire Arab population of the country was used as a reference population for SMR calculation.
Results:
Over the observation period, 814 cases of death were recorded. Crude mortality rates were 320.3 and 238.5 per 100,000 among males and females respectively. Among the males, residing within 20 km radius to the IP, RR for mortality due to all causes combined was 1.30 (1.12–1.65; p = 0.002) compared to the males from the more distant places of residence. SMR for this health indicator among the males living in the radius up to 20 km to the IP was 143.6 (124.0–166.3). For the same population, non-significant increase of RR was observed for each group of mortality causes (excluding infectious diseases). No differences in mortality rates due to the residential proximity to the IP were found in females.
Discussion and conclusion:
The study results suggest an association between the residential proximity to the IP and increased mortality rate in the Bedouin male population. The outcomes are in line with our previous reports on morbidity indicators and the residence near the IP. The findings, as well as public concern, give reason for further investigations designed to evaluate the role of the regional industrial pollutions in mortality rate in the male Bedouin population, and for additional enforcement of regulations helping to reduce or prevent completely the IP emissions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | S258-S259 |
| Journal | Epidemiology |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Nov 2006 |