Assessment of the short-term influence of particulate matter concentrations on the health of the inhabitants of Wroclaw

Atmospheric pollution caused by particulate matter is a major problem of urban agglomerations and big cities, both in Poland and in Europe. Almost 83% of the population living in major European cities is exposed to the adverse effects of air pollution, due to the presence of concentrations exceeding acceptable levels. The aim of the study was to analyze the seasonal variation of the fine particulate matter concentration and the assessment of its impact on the health of the inhabitants of Wroclaw. Measurement results of research on PM concentrations from Wroclaw in 2013-2015 conducted by the authors, as well as the Regional Inspectorate of Environment Protection (RIEP)were used in this study. The analysis showed that daily concentrations of particulate matter PM2.5 (station situated in the vicinity of Al. Wisniowa) in 2015 were in the range of 6-110 mu g/m(,)(3) whereas the concentrations registered on Na Grobli street were in the range of 5-88 mu g/m(3). The averaged concentration on Na Grobli street recorded in 2014 was:32 mu/m(3) in the heating season and 16 mu g/m(3) in the rest of the year, whereas in the case of Al. Wisniowa: 40 mu g/m(3) and 17 mu g/m(3), respectively. In order to determine the potential impact of selected air pollutants on the health of the inhabitants of Wroclaw, the AirQ 2.2.3 model (The Air Quality Health Impact Assessment Tool) was used. AirQ model allows the assessment of the impact of air pollution on human health in two categories: morbidity and mortality. Analyses showed that the estimated number of cases of mortality per 100 000, relating to the short-term impact of the concentration of dust at the average value of the relative risk of 1.14 for the PM2.5 concentration measured at Al. Wisniowa and at Na Grobli street in 2014 amounted to 166.0 cases and 150.2 cases, respectively.