using satellite images for determination of critical points in polluted cities and their relation to lung cancer affection

mobasheri mr * (phd), hejazi a (msc)     department of remote sensing, kntoosi university of technology, tehran, iran     original article   received: 16 jan 2014, accepted: 21 apr 2014       abstract     introduction: air pollution may affect health through increasing respiratory and cardiovascular morbidities and mortalities. in this study, we investigated the correlation between the concentration of the pm2.5 and lung cancer in tehran.  methods: in this study, the modis images were used to estimate the concentration of the pm2.5 in air. using statistical regression methods, the relationship between air pollution and the residential areas of individuals with lung cancer have been assessed.   results: there was a positive correlation between the increases of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in the air and increase in the index relative individuals affected by the lung cancer in different parts of tehran. the value of this correlation was 65% (r2=0.43) which means that living in the more pollutant areas may increase the risk lung cancer (relative risk coefficient=1.32).   conclusion: a weak positive correlation was found between the pm2.5 concentration and lung cancer. we did not take into account the other correlates of the disease. producing daily maps of pollution distribution in tehran and highlighting the critical points may provide an alarm for people and the official administrative agents.     key words: a ir pollution, particulate matter, lung cancer, modis         please cite this article as follows:   mobasheri mr, hejazi a. using satellite images for determination of critical points in polluted cities and their relation to lung cancer affection. hakim health sys res 2014 17(2): 151- 158.     * corresponding author: department of remote sensing engineering, k.n. toosi university of technology, p.o. box: 15875-4416, tehran, iran. tel: +98- 912- 1226630, fax: +98- 21- 88786213. e-mail: [email protected]