Children in two areas with different air pollution levels in Hong Kong were tested for
pulmonary function (FVC, FEV1, FEF25-75).8 In both sexes, the mean values of pulmonary
function were higher in the low polluted district. The differences in the parameters between the two districts were statistically significant (except for FVC in boys), and the differences among girls were more marked. No effect of either active or passive smoking on any parameter of pulmonary function was observed. A recent purchase of new furniture at home
was associated with a decrease in FEV1/FVC and FEF25-75 for boys. Girls whose fathers held
blue-collar jobs, and girls born in the mainland of China, had higher FVC and FEV1 levels
compared to those whose fathers are white-collar workers and those born locally in Hong
Kong.
Lung function was studied in areas with four different exposure levels in Leipzig. Day-care centres were divided into four exposure groups due to domestic- or coal heating
and level of traffic.2 Lower mean FVC and FEV
1, compared with predicted values, were seen
among children in areas with dominated by traffic pollutants. Vmax75 values were within the
predicted norm for all four exposure groups, but a stepwise decrement was notable with increasing pollution levels. All together 57 of 235 lung function tests (24 %) were outside the normal range and 50 % of these children were reported to have physician-diagnosed asthma, allergies, eczema or any combination of the three diagnoses. Gender was by far the most striking predictor of an adversely affected lung function.
Hyperresponsiveness was studied in areas with three different exposure levels southeast
Korea.3 Allergy skin prick tests were also performed.
257 (38 %) of the 670 children had airway hyperresponsiveness; 375 (56 %) had lung symptoms and 434 (65 %) had nose symptoms. There was significantly more airway hyper- responsiveness in children with lung symptoms than in those without. There was no signifi- cant difference in airway hyperresponsiveness between children with and without nose symptoms. Atopy was significantly more prevalent in the polluted area than in the rural area. A significantly greater proportion of children (45 %) had airway hyperresponsiveness in the polluted area than in the rural area (32 %) or coastal (33 %) area. Schoolchildren with atopy
needed a lower concentration of methacholine before FEV1 fell, than those without atopy. In
the multiple logistic regression model, positive allergy skin test and living in the polluted area near the chemical factory were independently associated with airway hyperresponsive- ness.
Spirometry and questionnaire data for respiratory function and symptoms were studied in
areas with three different exposure levels in Moscow.1 Based on earlier measurements of
ambient air pollution, 479 children from low-, medium and high polluted areas were investi- gated. Children in the medium and high polluted districts had that were 6 and 10 % lower FVC, respectively, than children in the clean district. But the risk of having FEV below 75 % of the expected value showed the opposite effect. The influence of socioeconomic factors seems problematic in this study.
Pulmonary function (FVC and FEV1) was analysed twice for relationships with PM10
levels in two areas in China.4 FVC and FEV
1 in March were significantly lower than the in
December for both regions, even when taking into consideration the increase of the chil- dren’s height and weight during these months. The findings could be due to the yellow dust storms with wind-blown dust/particles with predominantly size of 3µm.
Healthy children in two areas of northern Italy underwent lung function tests (FVC,
FEV1), skin tests to common allergens, total serum levels of IgE, and a challenge to meth-
acholine at increasing doses.7 Lung function data, adjusted for the effect of potential con-
founders showed significantly lower FVC, and FEV1 in the children from the polluted area. After the exclusion of subjects with positive skin tests and serum IgE above the sensitivity level and those with history of asthma or respiratory disorders, there were higher percentages of positive responses in the challenge to methacholine in children from the polluted city area.
Lung function and the carbon content of airway macrophages was studiedin 114 healthy
children and nine children with asthma, in Leicester, UK5 The levels of PM
10 from local
sources of combustion were calculated for each child's home address using the Airviro
dispersion model (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute). Increased primary
PM10 was inverselyassociated with the percentage of the predicted FEV1 and the FEF25-75, in
the healthy children.
Children with asthma lived in areas with increased levels ofprimary PM10, had a reduced
FEV1 (before use of bronchodilator), and had an increased proportion of eosinophilsin
sputum. Carbonwas not detected in the majority of airway macrophages fromchildren with
asthma, whereas the majority of airway macrophagesfrom healthy children contained at least
one area of carbon. This suggest that the phagocytosis of carbon particles by airway macro- phages may be impaired in severe asthma
Four different areas in Bangkok wereselected based on the traffic volumes and popula-
tion density.6 722 children were examined for lung function, (FVC, FEV
1, FEF25-75) by tech-
nicians. The proportion of children with impaired lung function was significant higher in the polluted areas than in the control area.