Proximity to petrochemical industry and risk of childhood asthma occurrence

Shih-Chun Pan; Wei-Shan Chin; Ching-Chun Huang; Yu-Cheng Chen; Chih-Da Wu; Chin-Yu Hsu; Pinpin Lin; Pau-Chung Chen; Yue Leon Guo

doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114515

Proximity to petrochemical industry and risk of childhood asthma occurrence

Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2025 Jan 2:264:114515. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114515. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Shih-Chun Pan¹, Wei-Shan Chin², Ching-Chun Huang³, Yu-Cheng Chen⁴, Chih-Da Wu⁵, Chin-Yu Hsu⁶, Pinpin Lin⁷, Pau-Chung Chen⁸, Yue Leon Guo⁹

Affiliations

¹ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan. Electronic address: u9865006@cmu.edu.tw.
² School of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University (NTU) and NTU Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: wschin@ntu.edu.tw.
³ Environmental and Occupational Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University (NTU) and NTU Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan. Electronic address: hintchun@gmail.com.
⁴ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan. Electronic address: yucheng@nhri.edu.tw.
⁵ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan; Department of Geomatics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Research Center for Precision Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung City, Taiwan. Electronic address: chidawu@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
⁶ Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Center for Environmental Sustainability and Human Health, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Electronic address: gracecyhsu@mail.mcut.edu.tw.
⁷ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan. Electronic address: pplin@nhri.edu.tw.
⁸ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan; Environmental and Occupational Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University (NTU) and NTU Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: pchen@ntu.edu.tw.
⁹ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan; Environmental and Occupational Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University (NTU) and NTU Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: leonguo@ntu.edu.tw.

PMID: 39753087
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114515

Abstract

Adverse effects on the respiratory system were associated with intensive petroleum-related industrial activities. The study aimed to assess the impact of petrochemical exposure on childhood asthma using various surrogate indices. A singleton birth cohort from 2004 to 2017 was conducted, leveraging two linked nationwide databases in Taiwan. The distance from the nearest petrochemical industrial parks (PIPs), the probability for PIPs exposure, and benzene exposure level were used as surrogate petrochemical exposure indices. Both prenatal and postnatal exposure window were considered. The Cox proportional hazard models were applied to evaluate the effects. A total of 461,343 asthma cases were identified in this cohort by December 31, 2018. Certain risk factors such as being male, preterm birth, low birth weight, Caesarean delivery, maternal gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes, were more prevalent in children with asthma than in those without. The results indicated an increased risk of asthma for those living near PIPs or with a higher probability for PIPs exposure during prenatal and/or postnatal periods. Increased asthma risks were also observed with higher levels of benzene exposure during either the prenatal or postnatal periods. Proximity to PIPs is associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma, as indicated by three different exposure surrogate exposure indices. This underscores the significant impact of petrochemical exposure on the occurrence of childhood asthma.

Keywords: Benzene; Childhood asthma; Petrochemical industrial parks.