Alterações respiratórias em crianças expostas à poeira de resíduos de mineração após o desastre do rompimento da barragem do Córrego do Feijão em Brumadinho, Minas Gerais: um estudo de coorte - Projeto Bruminha

Abstract

Following the Brumadinho dam collapse, a new superficial soil layer composed of dried mining tailings was formed, from which fine particles such as dust can disperse, representing a potential risk of inhalation exposure for children. This study assessed possible respiratory outcomes between 2021 and 2023 among children aged 0–6 years living in three communities affected by mining tailings dust (exposed group) and in one non-exposed community (non exposed group). Three study designs were conducted: two cross-sectional studies (in 2021 and between 2021 and 2023) and a cohort study following the same children over time. Data were collected through questionnaires addressing sociodemographic and environmental characteristics, as well as reported respiratory conditions. In the 2021 cross-sectional study, children residing in dust-exposed communities had 3.6 times higher odds of respiratory allergies (adjusted OR = 3.63; 95% CI: 1.37–9.57) compared with non-exposed children. In the second cross-sectional study (2021–2023), a significant increase (p = 0.001) was observed in upper and lower airway conditions, respiratory symptoms, and respiratory allergies among the total number of children evaluated over the three-year period. In the cohort analysis (2021–2023), children in the exposed group showed increasing trends in lower airway conditions (p = 0.014), upper airway conditions (p = 0.050), and respiratory symptoms (p = 0.031). Among children whose families reported higher dust presence, increased vehicle traffic, and more frequent household cleaning, an increasing trend was also observed in lower airway conditions (p = 0.008; p = 0.019; p = 0.016), upper airway conditions (p = 0.048), and respiratory symptoms (p = 0.049), respectively. The risk of lower airway conditions was 1.61 times higher among dust-exposed children (RR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.03–2.51; p = 0.036) compared with non-exposed children. Longer exposure duration was associated with a 1.44 fold increase in the risk of lower airway conditions (RR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.09–1.91; p = 0.010) and a 1.10-fold increase in the risk of reported respiratory symptoms (RR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02–1.19; p = 0.010). Increasing age was positively associated with the risk of upper airway conditions (RR = 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01–1.02; p = 0.001) and respiratory allergies (RR = 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00–1.02; p = 0.046). These findings provide relevant evidence to support the strengthening of healthcare services organization and health surveillance in communities located near mining areas and potentially exposed to tailings dust across different regions of Brazil.