The South Karelia air pollution study: Changes in respiratory health in relation to emission reduction of malodorous sulfur compounds from pulp mills

Journal Article · · Archives of Environmental Health

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00039899909602483· OSTI ID:6151665

Jaakkola, J J.K. ^[1]; Partti-Pellinen, K; Marttila, O ^[2]; Miettinen, P ^[3]; Vilkka, V ^[4]; Haahtela, T ^[5]

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1. Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States) Univ. of Helsinki (Finland). Dept. of Public Health
2. South Karelia Allergy and Environment Inst., Tiuruniemi (Finland)
3. Helsinki Univ. of Technology, Espoo (Finland). Systems Analysis Lab.
4. South Karelia Central Hospital, Lappeenranta (Finland). Dept. of Pulmonary Diseases
5. Helsinki Univ. Central Hospital, Helsinki (Finland). Dept. of Allergic Diseases

The authors assessed the health effects of emission reduction of malodorous sulfur compounds in a prospective cohort study with a controlled natural experiment. A total of 810 subjects participated in the follow up: 316 from the severely polluted, 306 from the moderately polluted, and 188 from the nonpolluted communities. In the severely polluted community, the annual ambient air concentration of total reduced sulfur compounds decreased from 11 [micro]g/m[sup 3] to 6 [micro]/m[sup 3]. Compared with the nonpolluted community, the relative decrease in acute respiratory infections, adjusted for a change in smoking habits, was 0.53 episodes/person-year in the severely polluted community and 0.36 episodes/person-year in the moderately polluted community. In addition, the frequency of nasal symptoms and cough decreased significantly. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that exposure to malodorous sulfur compounds increases the risk of acute respiratory infections and symptoms of the respiratory tract.

• OSTI ID: 6151665
• Journal Information: Archives of Environmental Health, Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Health Vol. 54:4; ISSN 0003-9896; ISSN AEHLAU
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
CHALCOGENIDES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISEASES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EUROPE
FINLAND
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
INDUSTRY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PAPER INDUSTRY
POLLUTION
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SCANDINAVIA
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
WESTERN EUROPE
WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY