A study on the correlation between regional airborne particulate concentration and asthma occurrence based on an open...

Air pollution has become an issue of concern in recent years. The rapid development of modern technology and industrial carbon emissions has led to an increase in suspended particles in the air. This is of particular concern in Taiwan, where the focus on high-tech industries, whether semiconductor manufacturing or printed circuit board manufacturing, produces pollutants that are harmful to the environment. Asthma is an important issue both in the past and today. The clinical care guidelines for adult asthma issued in 2022 state that the prevalence of asthma in Taiwan was 12% for adults and 15% for children. Based on these estimates, there are approximately 2 million asthma patients in Taiwan, which creates a serious burden on healthcare resources. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between regional airborne particles and asthma, to determine which airborne particles are most associated with asthma, and to ascertain the degree of correlation between the two through the statistical method of correlation analysis. A weak positive correlation was found between PM10 and the number of asthma emergencies. A time series model was also used to predict PM2.5 and PM10 levels and the number of asthma emergencies, which can be used as a reference for the number of asthma consultations and as a basis for evaluating the allocation of healthcare resources.