Investigating the relationship between air pollution, meteorology, and COPD trends in Pokhara Metropolitan City, Nepal

Abstract

Spanning 464.24 km2, Pokhara Metropolitan City is Nepal’s largest city by area. With over 400,000 residents, it’s also Nepal’s second most populous city. This research investigated a biometeorological system present within Pokhara Metropolitan city concerning air pollution, meteorology, and health. Different aspects of this system are more or less influential in various regions of the city and understanding these relationships can assist with future health interventions for limiting exposure to pollutants. This research was completed using data sets published in government records and scientific literature, showcasing what can be accomplished with open-source data. Key findings were a positive correlation between air pollution levels and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospital admissions into Pokhara’s Western Regional Hospital and a negative correlation between meteorological measurements and hospital admissions. These findings aligned with the general body of literature regarding risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hospitalizations. Multivariate regressions yielded better predictions for hospital admissions using both mean low and high temperatures as opposed to using one temperature variable, which implied both daily low and high temperatures correlate to hospital admissions. Results also revealed air pollution levels for pollutants equal to or less than ten micrometers and greater than 2.5 micrometers were better predictors of hospital admissions than air pollutants sized 2.5 micrometers and below. Findings prompted questions about the relationships between different pollutant sizes and their correlations to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalizations. Findings also yielded questions regarding health interventions and Pokhara’s built environment, which may be investigated in future research.