HOSPITALIZAÇÕES POR DOENÇAS RESPIRATÓRIAS ASSOCIADOS À EXPOSIÇÃO DE METAIS TOXICOS NO MATERIAL PARTICULADO E NÍVEL DE TEMPERATURA EM PRESIDENTE PRUDENTE, SP, BRASIL.

The objective was to correlate the exposure of toxic metals in atmospheric particulate matter and temperature (T) with hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil. The hospital admissions data survey for respiratory diseases was performed from the hospital data base information system and emergency from May to December 2011. The determinations of the toxic metals cadmium (Cd2+), copper (Cu2+) and lead (Pb2+) from passive sampler were performed by differential pulse voltammetry. The data from T was obtained by the weather station of UNESP. During the period of study 811 medical records of hospital admissions for respiratory diseases were analyzed. The average concentration of toxic metals in MP was of Cd2+ 26.5±17.8 μg/m2, Cu2+ 36.3±18.6 μg/m2, Pb2+ 44.1±20.0μg/m2. The average T was 21.8±1.95 °C. Therefore, it was observed that there was a positive correlation between the number of hospitalizations with Pb2+ (r=0.756) e T (r=0.713). It was concluded that high levels of Pb2+ in the atmosphere and T causes increase of hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]