Ambient hydrogen sulfide, total reduced sulfur, and hospital visits for respiratory diseases in northeast Nebraska, 1998-2000.

This analysis examined associations between total reduced sulfur (TRS) and hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) levels, and hospital visits for respiratory disease among residents of Dakota City and South Sioux City, Nebraska, from January 1998 to May 2000. For reference, the association between TRS, H(2)S, and digestive diseases was also examined. Time-series analyses of daily hospital visits in the selected outcome categories and measures of TRS and H(2)S were performed using generalized additive models with a Poisson link.

Community-based exposure estimate for hydrogen sulfide.

Indoor and outdoor air pollution monitoring may indicate potential human exposure to air contaminants. Individual and population exposures to air contaminants depend upon many factors including time spent outdoors and indoors, permeability of housing structures, and mobility within a community. In this report, we illustrate an approach for using long-term air monitoring to establish patterns or changes of environmental exposures, improve validity and representativeness of data, and prevent exposure misclassification.