Impact assessment of traffic emission on the respiratory system of non-smoking traffic policemen in Palestine

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of prolonged exposure of non-smoking traffic police men to vehicular emission within the northern Gaza Governorate-Palestine. Samples of atmospheric pollutants such as PM10, CO and CO2 were collected alongside respiratory data involving lung function, chest and respiratory status and direct physical examination. This was done in order to understand the level of association between respiratory status such as effect on breathing, upper respiratory tract irritation, frequent cough and eye irritation. Chi-square statistical techniques and descriptive statistics were applied in the datasets. The result shows that there is a strong association between air pollution and respiratory disease with a p-value 0.027 at significance of alfa 0.05. The statistical result shows that about 20 non-smoking traffic policemen have upper respiratory tract infection, 15 with frequent cough symptom, 6 with shortness of breathing and 25 with eye irritation. This study is an indication that vehicular emission within the study area is a primary source of pollution that possesses a risk in exposing non-smoking policemen to series of respiratory diseases. Government agencies and other stakeholders should provide preventive measures in either reducing the number, concentration and sizes of pollutants emitted or provide protective measures to reduce the level of exposure of traffic policemen and other habitants.