Chile is considered a model for Latin American and Caribbean Countries (LAC) due to its growing development. However, its regulatory processes for air pollutants pose populational high health risks. The comparison of national regulations for particulate matter (PM10-PM2.5) in relation to WHO recommendations and their subsequent estimation of additional case numbers clearly show a significant proportion of the population at risk of becoming ill or dying from these contaminants.
The PM10 standard only considers mortality, setting a value of 150 μg/m3 (mean 24 hrs) and 50 μg/m3 (mean annual), exceeding WHO recommendations. WHO recognizes short and long-term impacts[1]. Thus for short-term exposure to PM2.5 it proposed risk indicators (RR 95% CI) for every 10 μg/m3 of 1,023 (1.0045-1.02) for all-cause mortality, 1.0091 (1.0017-1.016) for cardiovascular hospital admissions and 1.019 (0.99-1.04) for respiratory causes. For PM10 (mean daily) asthma incidence is proposed of 1.028 (1.006-1.051). For long term exposure of PM2.5 (mean annual) a RR of 1.062 (1.04-1.08) is proposed for total mortality; for PM10 mean annual, an RR of 1.04 (1.02-1.07) for postneonatal mortality, prevalence of bronchitis in children (6 to 12 years) 1.08 (0.98 -1.19) and incidence of Bronchitis (>18 years of 1.17 (1.04-1.19) are proposed.
It is estimated in Chile that the number of cases of mortality and morbidity attributable to actual levels of air pollution in Chile is underestimated in regulatory processes. This scenario is expected in several countries in LAC exposed as Chile to PM10 and PM2.5[2]. It is proposed to review new functions over other cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases and to improve the quality of indicators for estimating the burden of disease attributable to short and long-term exposure particulate matter and the subsequent regulatory processes in LAC [3].
[1] WHO 2013. Health risks of air pollution in Europe – HRAPIE project. Available in: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/air-quality/publications/2013/health-risks-of-air-pollution-in-europe-hrapie-project.-recommendations-for-concentrationresponse-functions-for-costbenefit-analysis-of-particulate-matter,-ozone-and-nitrogen-dioxide. Accessed January 28th 2017
[2] Riojas-Rodríguez H, da Silva AS, Texcalac-Sangrador JL, Moreno-Banda GL. Air pollution management and control in Latin America and the Caribbean: implications for climate change. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2016 Sep;40(3):150-159.
[3] Burnett RT, Pope CA 3rd, Ezzati M, Olives C, Lim SS, Mehta S, Shin HH, Singh G, Hubbell B, Brauer M, Anderson HR, Smith KR, Balmes JR, Bruce NG, Kan H, Laden F, Prüss-Ustün A, Turner MC, Gapstur SM, Diver WR, Cohen A. An integrated risk function for estimating the global burden of disease attributable to ambient fine particulate matter exposure. Environ Health Perspect. 2014 Apr;122(4):397-403. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1307049.