Health Effects on the Population of the Mining Corridor Due to Air Pollutants from Particulate Matter Originating in the Coal Sector the Cesar, La Guajira, and Magdalena 2024–2025

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter pollution from the coal mining sector in the three municipalities of Cesar, La Guajira, and El Magdalena on respiratory morbidity in children under 5 years of age and adults over 60 years of age residing in these municipalities. This descriptive time series study included three municipalities in three departments: Algarrobo, Albania, and La Jagua de Ibirico. The SEVCA (Seasonal Environmental Monitoring System) was used to collect PM10 and PM2.5 pollutants. Data on secondary source air quality (RIPS) were collected from the public health services (ESE) in each municipality. The daily average concentration of μg/m3 was used for the statistical analysis of the pollutants. A time series statistical model was applied to compare the temporal variations in exposure levels and the event itself. The air quality data databases were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A logistic regression model was used to assess the association between pollutants and air quality. To account for the effects of time lags in air quality data, moving averages with lags of 0 to 3 days were used. Statistical analyses were performed using R version 4.5.1. We found daily averages of ARI in children under 5 years of age and adults over 60 years of age in the three municipalities of (1.35) admissions per day. The average daily concentrations of μg/m3 for Algarrobo were (29.79 μg/m3) for PM10 and (12.68 μg/m3) for PM2.5, for Albania (33.49 μg/m3) for PM10 and (13.23 μg/m3) for PM2.5, and for La Jagua (41.42 μg/m3) for PM10 and (15.18 μg/m3) for PM2.5. Significant positive associations greater than 1 were obtained between ARI admissions and PM10 and PM2.5 pollutants, with an RR of 1.105, 1.106, 1.125, 1.124, 1.157, and 1.155 95% CI, when PM10 and PM2.5 increase by 10 μg/m3 and for delays of 1 and 1–3 days. In conclusion, we observed significant positive associations between hospital admissions for ARI in children under 5 years of age and adults over 60 years of age for the three municipalities and the pollutants PM10 and PM2.5, which leads us to conclude that there is an epidemiological association and that the change in μg/m3 levels represents a change in the risk of hospital admission for ARI for children under 5 years of age and older adults in this coal corridor of the Colombian Caribbean.