A new study suggests that air pollution can increase the risk of appendicitis. Researchers from the University of Calgary found that more cases of appendicitis were hospitalized on days when pollution levels were at peak.

The study has been presented to an American College of Gastroenterology conference and it seems to suggest that the general risk of tissue inflammation increases because of pollution.

A small pouch connected to the large intestine is known as the appendix. Though its role in the body is not clear, it is believed that it helps useful bacteria to aid digestion and fight infection. In Appendicitis, the appendix swells up and fills with pus.

In their study, the researchers identified almost 45,000 adults who were hospitalized between 1999 and 2006 for appendicitis.The researchers noted that on days of the highest ozone concentration, the patients were nearly 15% more likely to be hospitalized.

The researchers noted similar findings for other pollutants including nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter.

It was observed that the effects of air pollution were quite strong in summer months when people were more likely to be exposed to air pollution.

There are many other previous studies which show that air pollution can promote other disease states because of inflammation and according to the researchers of the current study, this was the best explanation for their findings.

Dr Gilaad Kaplan, who led the study, said: “If it’s confirmed that there is a link between air pollution and appendicitis, improving air quality may help to prevent the occurrence of the disease in some people.”