Increased incidence of allergic rhinitis, bronchitis and asthma, in children living near a petrochemical complex with SO2 pollution

This study aims to investigate incidence of allergic rhinitis, bronchitis and asthma, in children living near a petrochemical complex with SO2 pollution obtained by air monitoring stations. A total of 587 children aged 11 to 14 were recruited and classified into high and low exposure groups based on a radius of 10 km from the complex. To study the influence of health on children since the operation of complex in 1999 and observe the difference of these diseases' short-term and long-term impact, we obtained the incidence rates of allergic rhinitis (ICD-9: 477), bronchitis (490-491) and asthma (493) from the Taiwan Health Insurance Database for three periods: 1999-2002, 1999-2006, and 1999-2010. Since 2001, the mean and 99th percentile of SO2 concentrations in the high exposure area have been significantly higher than those in low exposure area. There were significant differences between the high and low exposure groups in the percentage of smoking, alcohol consumption, passive smoking exposure and incense burning habits. The incidence rates of three intervals were 26.9%, 35.7%, 41.7%; 8.3%, 8.8%, 10.2%; 18.5%, 25.0%, 26.9% for allergic rhinitis, bronchitis and asthma in high exposure group. Significant differences were found between groups for allergic rhinitis in all periods, bronchitis in the first two periods, and asthma in the first period using Student's t-test. After we adjusted age, gender, group, living near roads, incense burning and passive smoking exposure, the hazard ratios between exposure groups were 3.05, 2.74, and 1.93 for allergic rhinitis with significant difference in three periods, and 2.53, 1.92 and 1.72 for bronchitis with significant difference in first period and 1.60, 1.28 and 1.29 for asthma with significant difference in first period by Cox regression. The higher incidence of allergic rhinitis was related to boys and living near roads and the higher incidence of asthma was also related to younger children, boys, and passive smoking exposure.