Condition of air pollution in relation to certain parameters in Kragujevac in the period since 1999. - 2008. as a risk factor for development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Air is one of the most important segments of environment which, with the expansion of industry and traffic, became polluted with ingredients which are harmful for man and his environment. There are many sources of airpollution in Sumadija and Western Serbia. They endanger health of everyone, and specially of most sensitive parts of population (pregnant women, children, old and sick people). Institute of public health in Kragujevac has been following the quality of air for many years already. The control of quality of air includes: • research of emission on defined emitters(sampling, laboratory analysis of samples and obtaining of expert opinion) and • research of immission (systematic following of immission of basic and specific damaging substances which come from stationary resources and the control of quality of air which comes from exhaust gases from motor vehicles, including sampling, laboratory analysis of samples and obtaining of expert opinion. Regular, continuous control of quality of air (immission measurements) are made on territory of City of Kragujevac through following essential damaging substances, sulfur dioxide, nitric oxides, soot and all sedimentary substances since the year 1975. Researches in world and in our country show that specific damaging substances from air which are of organic source as well as suspended substances do have special influence on health of people whether they directly cause disease deterioration of already existing diseases of respiratory organs or cause allergic manifestations which lead to chronic disinfectuous respiratary diseases (ICD - 10; J42 - J45). This group of diseases includes chronic obstructive lungs disease (ICD - 10; J42 - J44) and asthma (ICD - 10; J45). In world 400 million of people live with the diagnosis of chronic disinfectuous respiratory diseases, and among them are 320 million with chronic obstructive respiratory disease. Serbia is on the fourth place according to the level of dieing from chronic disinfectuous respiratory diseases after Kirgistan (99,0%), Kazachtan (56,5%), and Moldavy (51,9%). By analytical study that has been done by Institute of public health in Kragujevac it is estimated that there is increase of level of mortality from chronic disinfectuous respiratory diseases in Sumadija for 27% (from 19,48% in 1998. to 24,77% in 2008.). Average mortality rate for both sexes has higher values on the territory of Sumadija district than in Serbia (for men in Sumadija the mortality rate from chronic disinfectuous respiratory diseases is 38,4% while for men in Serbia this rate is somewhat lower - 37,15%; for women in Sumadija this mentioned mortality rate is 15,05% and is higher than for women in Sebia - 14,14%). Our study confirms the high degree of correlation between certain parameters of air pollution with mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.