Relationship Between the Incidence of Pulmonary Embolism and the Quantitative Level of Air Pollution (NO₂, SO₂, CO, O₃, and PM₁₀) in Patients Referred to Mashhad Hospitals in 2019

Abstract

Background: Air pollution is known to be associated with increased levels of inflammatory markers, vascular endothelial damage, and alterations in blood coagulation factors. It represents one of the most significant environmental hazards in urban areas, with adverse effects on the health of the population. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) and the quantitative levels of various air pollution parameters. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical (cross-sectional) study, we examined all patients diagnosed with PE who were referred to Ghaem and Imam Reza (AS) Hospitals in Mashhad during the year 2019. Daily data on each air pollutant, including NO2, SO2, CO, O3, and PM10, were obtained from the Meteorological Center. For each patient's assessment, we considered the average pollution levels over the past 30 days. The collected data were subsequently analyzed using independent samples t-tests and the Mann-Whitney U test in SPSS 22. Results: The findings of this study revealed a statistically significant association between elevated levels of PM10 and O3 and the occurrence of PE. However, no such relationship was observed for NO2 and CO in relation to the risk of PE. Conclusions: It can be concluded that increased levels of PM10 and O3 are linked to a higher risk of developing PE, while other pollutants showed no evidence of association in this study.