The climate-health cascade: Assessing the impact of rising temperature and particulate pollution on hospital admissions

Recent research from across the globe has unveiled a growing trend towards more frequent and intense climate events, marked by increasingly higher temperature peaks. Additionally, escalating human activities in urban areas are amplifying air pollution levels, notably particulates such as PM10 and PM2.5, which are closely linked to significant health problems and subsequent hospitalizations. These environmental concerns — heightened levels of particulates and more extreme climate events — have been definitively associated with adverse health outcomes, leading to an uptick in hospital admissions. This study seeks to explore the interconnections between these environmental factors and public health, assessing how human-induced climate change impacts healthcare systems. By integrating meteorological data, public health records, and readings from particulate matter sensors in Curitiba, Southern Brazil, we have constructed a comprehensive dataset that spans these three domains. Our statistical analysis reveals that average monthly concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 exhibit a slight negative correlation with hospital admissions in the same month. Intriguingly, this relationship turns positive when analyzed with a one-month delay. Furthermore, we found that hospitalization rates increase in months when pollution levels exceed the World Health Organization's Air Quality Guidelines. Similarly, we observed that maximum temperature values show a negative correlation with hospital admissions initially but correlate positively when delayed by a month. These correlations suggest a synergistic effect between rising temperatures and increased levels of particulate matter, underscoring a direct link to hospital admissions with a one-month lag.