Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in adults exposed to fine particles from a coal mine fire

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction In 2014 the Hazelwood open cut coal mine burned for six weeks, exposing nearby residents to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ). The long-term health consequences are being evaluated as part of the Hazelwood Health Study (HHS). These analyses explore the association between PM 2.5 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods A sample of 346 exposed, and 173 unexposed, adults participated in the longitudinal Respiratory Stream of the HHS. Participants underwent spirometry and gas transfer measurements and answered validated respiratory questionnaires 3.5-4 years after the fire. Individual level mine fire-related PM 2.5 exposure was modelled. Multivariate linea..