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The aim of this study is to further investigate the single and cumulative associations of SO2 on outpatient visits for conjunctivitis. Data from outpatient visits, air pollutants, and meteorology was collected by the Eye Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Zhejiang University School of Medicine, the Environmental Protection Department of Zhejiang Province, and the Meteorological Administration of Zhejiang Province from July 1, 2014, to November 30, 2019. A Poisson generalized linear regression model (PGLM), combined with a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM), was employed to analyze the association between SO2 and outpatient visits for conjunctivitis using PM2.5 and NO2 as covariates. Of the 539,649 outpatients for conjunctivitis recruited for analysis, 58.1% were female. Obvious single associations of SO2 were observed in outpatient visits for conjunctivitis, which is consistent with our previous results using a time-stratified case crossover design. A delay in the associations of SO2 on outpatient visits for conjunctivitis was further confirmed, with the longest lag being 12 days. The strongest lag effect was found at lag 0-11 with RR95th vs 25th = 1.30 (1.24, 1.37), and RR90h vs 25th = 1.23 (1.18, 1.28). Furthermore, the results showed that old people may be more sensitive to the associations of SO2 than adults and the younger ones. Our study provides the first evidence that outpatient visits for conjunctivitis are positively associated with both single and cumulative air pollutant SO2 exposure, suggesting that people especially elders had better to decrease outdoor activities when the SO2 concentration is above safe level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution could be a risk factor for the development of pterygium. This study aimed to investigate the potential associations between outpatient visits for pterygium and air pollutants. Using a time-stratified case-crossover design, the data of 3017 outpatients with pterygium visiting an eye center in Hangzhou, China, and the air pollution data of the Environmental Protection Department of Zhejiang Province between July 1, 2014, and November 30, 2019, were examined. The relationships between the air pollutants nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), sulfur dioxide (SO 2), ozone, and fine particulate matter (PM) with median aerometric diameter <2.5 μm (PM 2.5) and <10 μm (PM 10) and outpatient visits for primary pterygium were assessed using single- and multiple-pollutant models. Significant associations between outpatient visits for pterygium and air pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 , and NO 2) were observed. Younger patients were found to be more sensitive to air pollution. Interestingly, the younger female patients with pterygium were more vulnerable to PM 2.5 exposure during the warm season, while the younger male patients with pterygium were more sensitive to NO 2 during the cold season. Significant effects were also observed between the pterygium outpatients and PM 2.5 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06, P = 0.02), PM 10 (OR = 1.04, P = 0.01), and SO 2 (OR = 1.26, P = 0.01) during the warm season, as well as NO 2 (OR = 1.06, P = 0.01) during the cold season. Our study provides evidence that outpatient visits for pterygium are positively associated with increases in the air pollutants PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 , and NO 2 , revealing the important role of air pollution in the occurrence and development of pterygium. [Display omitted] • Air pollutants are in significant associations with outpatient visits for pterygium. • Younger pterygium patients are more sensitive to air pollution. • The female pterygium patients are more vulnerable to PM 2.5 during the warm season. • The male pterygium patients are more sensitive to NO 2 during the cold season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]