Comparison of the rate of healthcare encounters for influenza from source-specific PM_2.5 before and after tier 3 vehicle standards in New York state

Influenza healthcare encounters in adults associated with specific sources of PM_2.5 is an area of active research.

Following 2017 legislation requiring reductions in emissions from light-duty vehicles, we hypothesized a reduced rate of influenza healthcare encounters would be associated with concentrations of PM_2.5 from traffic sources in the early implementation period of this regulation (2017–2019).

We used the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) to study adult patients hospitalized (N = 5328) or treated in the emergency department (N = 18,247) for influenza in New York State. Using a modified case-crossover design, we estimated the excess rate (ER) of influenza hospitalizations and emergency department visits associated with interquartile range increases in source-specific PM_2.5 concentrations (e.g., spark-ignition emissions [GAS], biomass burning [BB], diesel [DIE]) in lag day(s) 0, 0–3 and 0–6. We then evaluated whether ERs differed after Tier 3 implementation (2017–2019) compared to the period prior to implementation (2014–2016).

Each interquartile range increase in DIE in lag days 0–6 was associated with a 21.3% increased rate of influenza hospitalization (95% CI: 6.9, 37.6) in the 2014–2016 period, and a 6.3% decreased rate (95% CI: −12.7, 0.5) in the 2017–2019 period. The GAS/influenza excess rates were larger in the 2017–2019 period than the 2014–2016 period for emergency department visits. We also observed a larger ER associated with increased BB in the 2017–2019 period compared to the 2014–2016 period.

We present an accountability study on the impact of the early implementation period of the Tier 3 vehicle emission standards on the association between specific sources of PM_2.5 air pollution on influenza healthcare encounters in New York State. We found that the association between gasoline emissions and influenza healthcare encounters did not lessen in magnitude between periods, possibly because the emissions standards were not yet fully implemented. The reduction in the rates of influenza healthcare encounters associated with diesel emissions may be reflective of past policies to reduce the toxicity of diesel emissions. Accountability studies can help policy makers and environmental scientists better understand the timing of pollution changes and associated health effects.