Acute respiratory illness in families exposed to nitrogen dioxide ambient air pollution in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1982 · Arch. Environ. Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00039896.1982.10667539· OSTI ID:6701833

Love, G J ^[1]; Lan, S P; Shy, C M; Riggan, W B

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1. Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

The incidence of acute respiratory illness in families in Chattanooga, Tennessee was studied in 1972 and 1973 to determine if residents of a formerly high nitrogen dioxide exposure community continued to experience a high incidence of illness after ambient air concentrations of the pollutant had been reduced substantially. Illness data were collected by telephone at 2-wk intervals and illness rates per 100 person weeks of observation were contrasted with air pollution concentrations measured no more than 3.2 km from the home. Data were contrasted by communities designated as high, intermediate, or low pollution exposure. In 1972, higher rates of respiratory illness continued to occur in the designated high pollution area. These were associated with current higher short-term concentrations of nitrogen dioxide even though the long-term mean concentrations of the pollutant were little higher than those in the low pollution area. It was not possible to attribute the excesses in illness to specific pollutants or to specific exposure periods. However, reduction of the illness rate in 1973 associated with a strike at the primary source industry that curtailed nitrogen dioxide pollution in the high exposure community suggested that the short-term exposure may be more important than long-term exposure.

• OSTI ID: 6701833
• Journal Information: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States), Vol. 37:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
HUMAN POPULATIONS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR QUALITY
CHATTANOOGA
EPIDEMIOLOGY
CHALCOGENIDES
DISEASES
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION IV
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POPULATIONS
TENNESSEE
USA
560306* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)