ObjectiveTo assess the effects of air pollution levels on respiratory morbidity among children from 1999 to 2000. Methods Daily records of health center attendance due to respiratory diseases among children were obtained from the public health system in Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil. Daily levels of particulate matter (PM 10 ), smoke, NO 2 and O 3 were obtained from both Paraná State Environmental Institute and the Development Technology Institute, a non-governmental agency. Daily measurements of temperature and relative humidity were obtained from the National Institute of Meteorology. Generalized additive Poisson regression models were used to assess the relationship between respiratory diseases and air pollution, controlling for long-term seasonality using loess (a non-parametric smoothing function), weather and weekdays. A significance level of 5% was adopted in all the analyses. Results All pollutants presented an effect on respiratory diseases among children. An increase of 40,4 µg/m 3 in the 3-day moving average of smoke was associated with an increase of 4.5% (95% CI: 1.5-7.6) in the attendance of children with respiratory diseases. ConclusionThe results suggest that air pollution promotes adverse effects on children's respiratory health even when pollutant levels are lower than the air quality standards.

RESUMOO desenvolvimento da humanidade nos últimos tempos tem mudado o ambiente natural ao quais todos se inserem. Estas mudanças, em sua grande parte, são impactos sobre a fauna e a flora. Além das indústrias e da cidade, a agricultura também interfere nesta mudança, vê-se o crescimento intensivo e uso indiscriminados de agrotóxicos, do solo, da água, além dos desmatamentos e uso intensivo e prolongado de monoculturas -em que todos estes fatores prejudicam o meio ambiente, incluindo o próprio homem. Entretanto a tecnologia busca alternativa e mecanismos para auxiliar o desenvolvimento agrário sem prejudicar o ambiente, isto é o que propõe as leis e conferências para o desenvolvimento sustentável. Um exemplo é o uso de substâncias naturais para prevenir pragas em substituição dos agroquímicos que causam danos. A água, por exemplo, pode ser usada de uma forma mais racional com uso de irrigação ou fertirrigação por gotejamento, onde já foi comprovado uma grande economia de água e o desenvolvimento melhor das plantas em questão. Portanto este trabalho teve o objetivo de mostrar o papel da agricultura na decadência da sustentabilidade, mas também rever as tecnologias e alternativas existentes para que haja um desenvolvimento conjunto do ambiente e da agricultura. Palavras-chave: impacto ambiental, alternativas, agricultura orgânica, meio ambiente ABSTRACTThe development of humanity in recent times has changed the natural environment. These changes, for the most part, are impacts on fauna and flora. In addition to the industries and the city, these changes also have been affected by agriculture, there are the intensive growth and indiscriminate use of pesticides, of soil, of water, and of deforestation and intensive and prolonged monoculture -all these factors affect the environment, including man himself. However there are researches about alternative technology and ways to assist agricultural development without harming the environment, this is what the laws and conferences propose for sustainable development. An example is the use of natural substances to prevent pests, rather than agricultural chemicals. Water, for example, can be used with more rational or by drip irrigation, that shows a great saving of water and better development of the plants. Therefore this study aimed to show the role of agriculture in the decadence of sustainability, but also reviews the