Respiratory symptoms after coalmine fire and pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of the Hazelwood Health Study adult cohort.
The aim of this study was to determine whether the effects of extreme but discrete PM2.5 exposure from a coal mine fire on respiratory symptoms abated, persisted, or worsened over time, and whether they were exacerbated by COVID-19. We analysed longitudinal survey data from a cohort residing near a...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | PLOS Global Public Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004186 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832582971233665024 |
|---|---|
| author | Tyler J Lane Matthew Carroll Brigitte M Borg Tracy A McCaffrey Catherine L Smith Caroline X Gao David Brown Amanda Johnson David Poland Shantelle Allgood Jillian Ikin Michael J Abramson |
| author_facet | Tyler J Lane Matthew Carroll Brigitte M Borg Tracy A McCaffrey Catherine L Smith Caroline X Gao David Brown Amanda Johnson David Poland Shantelle Allgood Jillian Ikin Michael J Abramson |
| author_sort | Tyler J Lane |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of this study was to determine whether the effects of extreme but discrete PM2.5 exposure from a coal mine fire on respiratory symptoms abated, persisted, or worsened over time, and whether they were exacerbated by COVID-19. We analysed longitudinal survey data from a cohort residing near a 2014 coalmine fire in regional Australia. A 2016/2017 survey included 4,056 participants, of whom 612 were followed-up in 2022. Items included respiratory symptoms, history of COVID-19, and time-location diaries from the mine fire period, which were combined with geospatial and temporal models of fire-related PM2.5. Longitudinal effects of fire-related PM2.5 were examined using a mixed-effects logistic regression model. Exacerbation due to COVID-19 was examined using a logistic regression model. PM2.5 exposure was associated with chronic cough and possibly current wheeze, chest tightness, and current nasal symptoms 2-3 years post-fire, and chronic cough and current wheeze 8.5-9 years post-fire. Further, the association between PM2.5 and chronic cough and possibly current wheeze appeared to increase between the survey periods. While there were no detectable interactions between PM2.5 and COVID-19, PM2.5 exposure was associated with additional respiratory symptoms among participants who reported a history of COVID-19. In summary, medium-duration exposure to extreme levels of fire-related PM2.5 may have increased the long-term risk of chronic cough and current wheeze. While the COVID-19 pandemic started several years after the mine fire, contracting this illness may have exacerbated the effect of fire-related PM2.5 through development of additional respiratory symptoms. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b37a0e9aa139495ab1074fe9b9468663 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2767-3375 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLOS Global Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-b37a0e9aa139495ab1074fe9b94686632025-01-29T05:47:49ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLOS Global Public Health2767-33752025-01-0151e000418610.1371/journal.pgph.0004186Respiratory symptoms after coalmine fire and pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of the Hazelwood Health Study adult cohort.Tyler J LaneMatthew CarrollBrigitte M BorgTracy A McCaffreyCatherine L SmithCaroline X GaoDavid BrownAmanda JohnsonDavid PolandShantelle AllgoodJillian IkinMichael J AbramsonThe aim of this study was to determine whether the effects of extreme but discrete PM2.5 exposure from a coal mine fire on respiratory symptoms abated, persisted, or worsened over time, and whether they were exacerbated by COVID-19. We analysed longitudinal survey data from a cohort residing near a 2014 coalmine fire in regional Australia. A 2016/2017 survey included 4,056 participants, of whom 612 were followed-up in 2022. Items included respiratory symptoms, history of COVID-19, and time-location diaries from the mine fire period, which were combined with geospatial and temporal models of fire-related PM2.5. Longitudinal effects of fire-related PM2.5 were examined using a mixed-effects logistic regression model. Exacerbation due to COVID-19 was examined using a logistic regression model. PM2.5 exposure was associated with chronic cough and possibly current wheeze, chest tightness, and current nasal symptoms 2-3 years post-fire, and chronic cough and current wheeze 8.5-9 years post-fire. Further, the association between PM2.5 and chronic cough and possibly current wheeze appeared to increase between the survey periods. While there were no detectable interactions between PM2.5 and COVID-19, PM2.5 exposure was associated with additional respiratory symptoms among participants who reported a history of COVID-19. In summary, medium-duration exposure to extreme levels of fire-related PM2.5 may have increased the long-term risk of chronic cough and current wheeze. While the COVID-19 pandemic started several years after the mine fire, contracting this illness may have exacerbated the effect of fire-related PM2.5 through development of additional respiratory symptoms.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004186 |
| spellingShingle | Tyler J Lane Matthew Carroll Brigitte M Borg Tracy A McCaffrey Catherine L Smith Caroline X Gao David Brown Amanda Johnson David Poland Shantelle Allgood Jillian Ikin Michael J Abramson Respiratory symptoms after coalmine fire and pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of the Hazelwood Health Study adult cohort. PLOS Global Public Health |
| title | Respiratory symptoms after coalmine fire and pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of the Hazelwood Health Study adult cohort. |
| title_full | Respiratory symptoms after coalmine fire and pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of the Hazelwood Health Study adult cohort. |
| title_fullStr | Respiratory symptoms after coalmine fire and pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of the Hazelwood Health Study adult cohort. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Respiratory symptoms after coalmine fire and pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of the Hazelwood Health Study adult cohort. |
| title_short | Respiratory symptoms after coalmine fire and pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of the Hazelwood Health Study adult cohort. |
| title_sort | respiratory symptoms after coalmine fire and pandemic a longitudinal analysis of the hazelwood health study adult cohort |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004186 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tylerjlane respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort AT matthewcarroll respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort AT brigittemborg respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort AT tracyamccaffrey respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort AT catherinelsmith respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort AT carolinexgao respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort AT davidbrown respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort AT amandajohnson respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort AT davidpoland respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort AT shantelleallgood respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort AT jillianikin respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort AT michaeljabramson respiratorysymptomsaftercoalminefireandpandemicalongitudinalanalysisofthehazelwoodhealthstudyadultcohort |