Follow-up of schoolchildren in the vicinity of a coal-fired power plant in Israel

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3431300· OSTI ID:5983012

Goren, A I; Hellmann, S; Brenner, S ^[1]; Goldsmith, J R ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Tel-Aviv (Israel)
2. Ben Gurion Univ. of the Negev, Beer-Sheva (Israel)

This study was carried out in the framework of a health monitoring system set up in the vicinity of a 1400 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Israel. Second- and fifth-grade schoolchildren were followed up every 3 years; they performed pulmonary function tests (PFT), and their parents filled out American Thoracic Society-National Heart and Lung Institute health questionnaires. Among the cohort of second graders (in 1983) living in the area expected to be most polluted, a significant increase in the prevalence of part of the respiratory symptoms was evident in 1986. The prevalence of asthma among fifth graders in this area doubled compared with prevalence when they were second graders. Among the children from the older cohort (fifth graders in 1983) living in this community, a similar although milder trend could be observed, especially in regard to an increased prevalence of asthma in 1986 compared with 1983. Annual increases in PFT in the four groups of children (boys and girls from both cohorts) were found to be higher in the community expected to be polluted (especially in the younger cohort) compared with the two other communities. The discrepancy between the increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases and the higher annual increase in PET among children from the expected more polluted community may be partly attributable to differential annual increase in height and to different distribution of background variables in the three communities.

• OSTI ID: 5983012
• Journal Information: Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States) Vol. 94; ISSN 0091-6765; ISSN EVHPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
016000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
AGE DEPENDENCE
AGE GROUPS
ASIA
ASTHMA
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
BODY
BRONCHITIS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHILDREN
COAL
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DISEASE INCIDENCE
DISEASES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
ISRAEL
LUNGS
MATERIALS
MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE
MIDDLE EAST
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PNEUMONIA
POWER PLANTS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SURVEILLANCE
THERMAL POWER PLANTS