A1679 Annoyance and worry in a petrochemical industrial area – prevalence, time trends and risk indicators

Wednesday, March 21, 2012: 15:15
Cozumel 3 (Cancun Center)

Leo Stockfelt, Occupational And Environmental Medicine, University Of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Lars Barregard, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden
Eva Andersson, Occupational And Environmental Medicine, University Of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Gerd Sallsten, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden
Anita Gidlof-gunnarsson, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Gosta Axelsson, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Introduction
Residents close to industry may be annoyed by odor or noise, and worried about health effects of emissions or industrial accidents. This study aims to estimate the long term prevalence of annoyance and worry and assess associations with self-reported symptoms and individual factors in a petrochemical industry area.

Methods
In 1992, 1998 and 2006, postal questionnaires were sent to stratified samples of residents close to petrochemical industry (n=6-800 on each occasion) and a control area (n=200-1000). Response rates were 69-74%. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the influence of study year, symptoms and background factors (sex, types of residence and employment, children at home, annoyance and worry due to traffic) on annoyance by industrial odor or noise and on worry about health effects due to industrial air pollution or accidents.

Results
About 20% were annoyed by industrial odor and 27% by industrial noise (1-4% of controls), and 40-50% were worried of health effects of emissions or accidents (10-20% of controls). Between 1992 and 2006, the prevalence of annoyance by industrial odor decreased and by industrial noise increased, while prevalence of worries remained constant. Industrial odor annoyance was associated with young age, annoyance and worry of traffic exhausts, and self-reported tiredness, sleep difficulties, throat irritation and cough. Industrial noise annoyance was associated with traffic noise annoyance, worry of traffic exhausts, headache and sleep difficulties. Worry of industrial air pollution was associated with young age, female sex and asthma. Having children at home increased the worry. The association between worry of industrial air pollution and industrial accidents was strong.

Discussion
Living close to petrochemical industries affects life quality with higher risks of annoyance and worry of health effects of industrial activity. Important risk indicators were gender, having children at home and annoyance or worry related to road traffic exhausts.

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