Sandstorm-driven Particulate Matter Exposure and Elevated COPD Hospitalization Risk in Arid Regions of China: A Spatiotemporal Epidemiological Analysis.

Hao ZHAO; Ce LIU; Er Kai ZHOU; Bao Feng ZHOU; Sheng LI; Li HE; Zhao Ru YANG; Jia Bei JIAN; Huan CHEN; Huan Huan WEI; Rong Rong CAO; Bin LUO

Return

Sandstorm-driven Particulate Matter Exposure and Elevated COPD Hospitalization Risk in Arid Regions of China: A Spatiotemporal Epidemiological Analysis.

Author: Hao ZHAO ¹ ; Ce LIU ¹ ; Er Kai ZHOU ¹ ; Bao Feng ZHOU ² ; Sheng LI ³ ; Li HE ¹ ; Zhao Ru YANG ¹ ; Jia Bei JIAN ¹ ; Huan CHEN ¹ ; Huan Huan WEI ¹ ; Rong Rong CAO ¹ ; Bin LUO ¹
Author Information

1. Institute of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China.
2. Institute of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China;Health Commission of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China.
3. Department of Public Health, Lanzhou Second People's Hospital, Lanzhou 730046, Gansu, China.
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Disease burden; Hospitalization; Particulate matter; Sand-dust storms
MeSH: Humans; China/epidemiology*; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/chemically induced*; Particulate Matter/analysis*; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data*; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Aged; Air Pollutants/analysis*; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects*; Spatio-Temporal Analysis; Adult; Sand; Air Pollution
From: Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(11):1404-1416
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract: OBJECTIVE:Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health concern in northwest China; however, the impact of particulate matter (PM) exposure during sand-dust storms (SDS) remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between PM exposure on SDS days and COPD hospitalization risk in arid regions.
METHODS:Data on daily COPD hospitalizations were collected from 323 hospitals from 2018 to 2022, along with the corresponding air pollutant and meteorological data for each city in Gansu Province. Employing a space-time-stratified case-crossover design and conditional Poisson regression, we analyzed 265,379 COPD hospitalizations.
RESULTS:PM exposure during SDS days significantly increased COPD hospitalization risk [relative risk ( RR) for PM _2.5, lag 3:1.028, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.021-1.034], particularly among men and the elderly, and during the cold season. The burden of PM exposure on COPD hospitalization was substantially high in Northwest China, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions.
CONCLUSION:Our findings revealed a positive correlation between PM exposure during SDS episodes and elevated hospitalization rates for COPD in arid and semi-arid zones in China. This highlights the urgency of developing region-specific public health strategies to address adverse respiratory outcomes associated with SDS-related air quality deterioration.