Changes in industrial air pollution and the onset of childhood asthma in Quebec, Canada

Ambient air pollution has been associated with asthma onset and exacerbation in children. Whether improvement in air quality due to reduced industrial emissions has resulted in improved health outcomes such as asthma in some localities has usually been assessed indirectly with studies on between-subject comparisons of air pollution from all sources and health outcomes. In this study we directly assessed, within small areas in the province of Quebec (Canada), the influence of changes in local industrial fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations, on changes in annual asthma onset rates in children (<= 12 years old) with a longitudinal ecological design. We identified the yearly number of new cases of childhood asthma in 1282 small areas (census tracts or local community service centers) for the years 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2015. Annual average concentrations of industrial air pollutants for each of the geographic areas, and three sectors (i.e., pulp and paper mills, petroleum refineries, and metal smelters) were estimated by the Polair3D chemical transport model. Fixed-effects negative binomial models adjusted for household income were used to assess associations; additional adjustments for environmental tobacco smoke, background pollutant concentrations, vegetation coverage, and sociodemographic characteristics were conducted in sensitivity analyses. The incidence rate ratios (IRR) for childhood asthma onset for the interquartile increase in total industrial PM2.5, NO2, and SO2 were 1.016 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.006-1.026), 1.063 (1.045-1.090), and 1.048 (1.031-1.080), respectively. Positive associations were also found with pollutant concentrations from most individual sectors. Results suggest that changes in industrial pollutant concentrations influence childhood asthma onset rates in small localities.