Daily air pollution effects on children's respiratory symptoms and peak expiratory flow

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Am. J. Public Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.77.6.694· OSTI ID:6438694

Vedal, S; Schenker, M B; Munoz, A; Samet, J M; Batterman, S; Speizer, F E

To identify acute respiratory health effects associated with air pollution due to coal combustion, a subgroup of elementary school-aged children was selected from a large cross-sectional study and followed daily for eight months. Children were selected to obtain three equal-sized groups: one without respiratory symptoms, one with symptoms of persistent wheeze, and one with cough or phlegm production but without persistent wheeze. Parents completed a daily diary of symptoms from which illness constellations of upper respiratory illness (URI) and lower respiratory illness (LRI) and the symptom of wheeze were derived. Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was measured daily for nine consecutive weeks during the eight-month study period. Maximum hourly concentrations of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and coefficient of haze for each 24-hour period, as well as minimum hourly temperature, were correlated with daily URI, LRI, wheeze, and PEFR using multiple regression models adjusting for illness occurrence or level of PEFR on the immediately preceding day. Respiratory illness on the preceding day was the most important predictor of current illness. A drop in temperature was associated with increased URI and LRI but not with increased wheeze or with a decrease in level of PEFR. No air pollutant was strongly associated with respiratory illness or with level of PEFR, either in the group of children as a whole, or in either of the symptomatic subgroups; the pollutant concentrations observed, however, were uniformly lower than current ambient air quality standards.

• Research Organization: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
• OSTI ID: 6438694
• Journal Information: Am. J. Public Health; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Public Health; (United States) Vol. 6; ISSN AJHEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
016000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
550900 -- Pathology
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGE GROUPS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHILDREN
COAL
COMBUSTION
DAILY VARIATIONS
DISEASES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION III
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HOURLY VARIATIONS
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
PENNSYLVANIA
POLLUTION
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
STATISTICS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SYMPTOMS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TOXICITY
USA
VARIATIONS