The occurrence of symptoms of respiratory illness among preschool children living in homes heated by wood-burning stoves was examined by conducting an historical prospective study (n = 62) with an internal control group (matched for age, sex, and town of residence). Exposures of subjects were not significantly different (P > .05) with respect to parental smoking, ureaformaldehyde foam insulation, and use of humidifiers. The control group made significantly greater use of gas stoves for cooking whereas the study group made greater use of electric stoves for cooking and of air filters (P <.05). Only one home used a kerosene space heater. During the winter of 1982, moderate and severe symptoms in all categories were significantly greater for the study group compared with the control group (P < .001). These differences could not be accounted for by medical histories (eg, allergies, asthma), demographic or socioeconomic characteristics, or by exposure to sources of indoor air pollution other than wood-burning stoves. Present findings suggest that indoor heating with wood-burning stoves may be a significant etiologic factor in the occurrence of symptoms of respiratory illness in young children.
This study investigated a reported cluster of cancer deaths in the small rural community of Bynum, North Carolina. Residents felt the proportion of deaths involving cancer had been increasing since the mid-1960s. To address this concern, cancer mortality was investigated from 1947 to 1985 to determine 1) if the proportion of cancer deaths had increased since the mid-1960s, 2) if it differed from what should be expected based on comparison with the reference population of the state of North Carolina, and 3) if observed mortality was within the bounds of statistical probability. Results indicated that the proportion of cancer deaths remained relatively constant from 1947 to 1964 (ranging from 9% to 14%) but increased steadily after 1965 to a high of 58% (1980–1985). Standardized proportionate mortality ratios adjusted for age, sex, race, and calendar time Indicated that from 1975 to 1985 cancer deaths were 2.4 to 2.6 times greater than expected. Cancer mortality exceeded the upper limit of 95 percent Polsson confidence intervals from 1975 to 1985, which suggested that the excess proportion of cancer deaths was not likely to represent random case clustering. These findings serve to illustrate the feasibility of and a methodology for assessing reports of clusters in small populations.
Critical to a more definitive human health assessment of the potential health risks from exposure to complex mixtures in indoor air is the need for a more definitive clinical measure and etiology of the health effects of complex mixtures. This panel overview highlights six of the eight presentations of the conference panel discussion and features a number of the major topical areas of indoor air concern. W. G. Meggs assessed clinical research priorities with primary focus on the role of volatile organic chemicals in human health, recognizing the areas where definitive data are lacking. By recognizing many types of chemical sensitivity, it may be possible to design studies that can illuminate the mechanisms by which chemical exposure may cause disease. The critically important topic of multiple chemical sensitivity was discussed by N. A. Ashford, who identified four high risk groups and defined the demographics of these groups. P. A. Schulte addressed the issue of biological markers of susceptibility with specific considerations of both methodological and societal aspects that may be operative in the ability to detect innate or inborne differences between individuals and populations. Three case studies were reviewed. H. Anderson discussed the past and present priorities from a public health perspective, focusing on those issues dealing with exposures to environmental tobacco smoke and formaldehyde off-gassing from materials used in mobile home construction. J. J. Osborne described several case studies involving wood smoke exposure to children, with emphasis on the significantly greater occurrence of chronic respiratory symptoms and acute chest illness for children from homes heated with woodburning stoves.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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