Journal of Pollution Effects & Control
Open Access
ISSN: 2375-4397
ISSN: 2375-4397
Ismail Sabbah
Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, Kuwait
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Pollut Eff Cont
In this study, we have investigated the link between weather parameters, airborne pollens, air pollutants and the number of asthmatic patient visits in Al Rasheed Allergy Center, Kuwait during a full annual cycle. The pattern of the pollen counts graph exhibits a consistent annual cycle. A good correlation is obtained between airborne pollens and asthmatic patients in 2012. We identify 35 days with the number of asthma visit patients exceed 188. The Chreeâ��s method of superposed epoch has been applied to study the behavior of weather parameters and air pollutants on these days with respect to the rest of the days in 2012. The wind speed increases to 3.9�±0.1 m/s one day before the increase in the numbers of asthmatic patients. This increase causes a spread in the air pollens that directly increase the number of patients. The daily average values of dew point and relative humidity increase with the number of asthmatic patients while the visibility decreases. This may trigger asthmatic symptoms. We find no link between air pollutants and the number of asthmatic patients. The major dust storms of 2012 have no effect on the number of asthmatic patients as they consist mainly of coarse particles.
Email: sabbahsom@yahoo.com