Association of ambient air quality with children`s lung function in urban and rural Iran

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998 · Archives of Environmental Health

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00039899809605699· OSTI ID:642289

Asgari, M M; Dubois, A; Beckett, W S ^[1]; Asgari, M ^[2]; Gent, J ^[3]

---

1. Yale Univ. School of Medicine, New Haven, CT (United States)
2. Shaheed Beheshti Univ., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)
3. John B. Pierce Lab., New Haven, CT (United States)

During the summer of 1994, a cross-sectional epidemiological study, in which the pulmonary function of children in Tehran was compared with pulmonary function in children in a rural town in Iran, was conducted. Four hundred children aged 5--11 y were studied. Daytime ambient nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter were measured with portable devices, which were placed in the children`s neighborhoods on the days of study. Levels of these ambient substances were markedly higher in urban Tehran than in rural areas. Children`s parents were questioned about home environmental exposures (including heating source and environmental tobacco smoke) and the children`s respiratory symptoms. Pulmonary function was assessed, both by spirometry and peak expiratory flow meter. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity--as a percentage of predicted for age, sex and height--were significantly lower in urban children than in rural children. Both measurements evidenced significant reverse correlations with levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter. Differences in spirometric lung function were not explained by nutritional status, as assessed by height and weight for age, or by home environmental exposures. Reported airway symptoms were higher among rural children, whereas reported physician diagnosis of bronchitis and asthma were higher among urban children. The association between higher pollutant concentrations and reduced pulmonary function in this urban-rural comparison suggests that there is an effect of urban air pollution on short-term lung function and/or lung growth and development during the preadolescent years.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 642289
• Journal Information: Archives of Environmental Health, Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Health Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 53; ISSN 0003-9896; ISSN AEHLAU
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
CHILDREN
HEALTH HAZARDS
IRAN
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
PARTICULATES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SULFUR DIOXIDE