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International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

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01-08-2020 | Original Article

Health effects associated with short-term exposure to hydrogen sulfide from geothermal power plants: a case-crossover study in the geothermal areas in Tuscany

Authors: Daniela Nuvolone, Davide Petri, Annibale Biggeri, Fabio Barbone, Fabio Voller

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 6/2020

Abstract

Objective

Thirty-four geothermal power plants for the production of electricity are currently active in the geothermal areas in Tuscany. The present study aimed to investigate the association between short-term exposure to hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and acute health outcomes.

Methods

This study used individual data on non-accidental, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality, urgent hospital admissions (HA) and emergency department (ED) visits for cardiorespiratory diseases occurring from 2000 to 2017. All cases were georeferenced and matched to daily H₂S data, derived from 18 monitoring sites. A case-crossover design following the matched pair interval approach was applied and conditional logistic regression models were fitted to estimate odds ratios and their 90% confidence intervals, adjusting for a set of time-dependent variables, such as influenza epidemics, holidays and temperature.

Results

A total of 8054 deaths, 30,527 HA and 15,263 ED visits occurred. Mortality for non-accidental (OR = 1.11, 90% CI 1.02–1.22) and cardiovascular causes (OR = 1.22, 90% CI 1.03–1.44) were associated with an increase of 10 µg/m³ of H₂S daily levels only among men. Hospital admissions for respiratory diseases were positively associated with H₂S exposure: OR = 1.11 (90% CI 1.00–1.22) among women. No associations were observed in ED visits analyses.

Conclusions

In this case-crossover study in the Tuscan geothermal areas, short-term exposure to H₂S was weakly associated with some mortality and morbidity outcomes. Our findings did not show a clear pattern as the results were not homogeneous between mortality and morbidity data or between men and women.

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Title: Health effects associated with short-term exposure to hydrogen sulfide from geothermal power plants: a case-crossover study in the geothermal areas in Tuscany
Authors: Daniela Nuvolone
Davide Petri
Annibale Biggeri
Fabio Barbone
Fabio Voller
Publication date: 01-08-2020
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 6/2020
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-020-01522-9

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Health effects associated with short-term exposure to hydrogen sulfide from geothermal power plants: a case-crossover study in the geothermal areas in Tuscany

Abstract

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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