Sulfur dioxide and exacerbation of allergic respiratory diseases

Background: Strong epidemiological evidence suggests that air pollution plays a significant role in the exacerbation of allergic respiratory diseases. This study aimed to assess the potential relationship between daily levels of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and emergency department (ED) visits for allergic diseases. Materials and Methods: Data regarding ED visits for allergic respiratory diseases were routinely collected from the EDs in the Zlatibor district, and the General Hospital, Užice. The daily average concentrations of SO 2 were obtained from the regional automatic air quality monitoring stations. All data were collected from June 2012 to July 2014. A time-stratified case-crossover design was used. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and ORs adjusted for weather conditions were calculated using conditional logistic regression. Results: Statistically significant associations were seen between 0-day lagged exposure to SO 2 and ED visits for all allergic diseases (OR = 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–2.48; P = 0.028) and between 2-day lagged exposure to SO 2 and ED visits for asthma with allergic rhinitis (OR = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.03–3.88; P = 0.042). These results were adjusted for temperature, temperature 2 , and humidity. Conclusion: Our results suggest that short-term exposure to SO 2 conferred an increased risk of ED visits for allergic respiratory diseases, particularly for asthma with concomitant allergic rhinitis.