Association by Spatial Interpolation between Ozone Levels and Lung Function of Residents at an Industrial Complex in South Korea

Abstract

Spatial interpolation is employed to improve exposure estimates and to assess adverse health effects associated with environmental risk factors. Since various studies have reported that high ozone (O3) concentrations can give rise to adverse effects on respiratory symptoms and lung function, we investigated the association between O3 levels and lung function using a variety of spatial interpolation techniques and evaluated how different methods for estimating exposure may influence health results for a cohort from an industrial complex (Gwangyang Bay) in South Korea in 2009. To estimate daily concentrations of O3 in each subject, four different methods were used, which include simple averaging, nearest neighbor, inverse distance weighting, and kriging. Also, to compare the association between O3 levels and lung function by age-groups, we explored ozone’s impacts on three age-related groups: children (9–14 years), adults (15–64 years), and the elderly (≥65 years). The overall change of effect size on lung function in each age group tended to show similar patterns for lag and methods for estimating exposure. A significant negative association was only observed between O3 levels and FVC and FEV1 for most of the lag and methods in children. The largest effect of O3 levels was found at the average for the lung function test day and last 2 days (0–2 days). In conclusions, the spatial interpolation methods may benefit in providing individual-level exposure with appropriate temporal resolution from ambient monitors. However, time-activity patterns of residents, monitoring site locations, methodological choices, and other factors should be considered to minimize exposure misclassification.

Systematic Review of Ozone Effects on Human Lung Function, 2013 Through 2020

“…sustained exhalation), and fewer studies reported short-term FVC effects for children (Fig 3). 7,8,11,14,15,19,21 However, generally consistent small decreases in FVC in children and adolescents were found, associated with short-term ozone exposures (-14 to -81 mL per 10 ppb ozone, -0.3% predicted, or a -11% difference).…”

“…A-C, Forest plots showing estimates of differences in FEV 1 associated with increases of 10 ppb ozone in adults, from studies published from 2013 through 2020 within the studies that reported differences in milliliters (A), within the studies that reported differences in percent predicted (B), and in studies that reported multiplicative changes (C), in percent differences. Two of the studies in younger adults found increased FVC associated with ozone exposure, 7,41 and a study that assessed indoor home ozone found an increase in FEV 1 to FVC ratio associated with ozone exposure. 43 Two studies that presented Results only graphically were left off the forest plots, 45,46 but both seemed to show nonsignificant decreases in FEV 1 and FVC associated with same-day ozone exposure.…”

Effects of Environmental Air Pollution on Pulmonary Function Level of Residents in Korean Industrial Complexes

“…A number of studies have been conducted and reported that the levels of environmental air pollution—including nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O 3 ), dioxins, toxic metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and particulate matter (PM)—were significantly increasing in the atmosphere, soil, and aquatic environments in these industrial complexes, which have been most affected [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Several studies concluded that chronic exposure to low levels of hazardous pollutants were significantly related to adverse effects on respiratory and cardiovascular systems among the residents living closer to Gwangyang and Yeosu industrial complexes in Korea [ 12 , 14 ].…”

Evaluation of the Exposure to Environmental Pollutants Emanating from National Industrial Complexes

“…Individual-level exposure assessments should be performed for some of the substances extracted in this study; this can be executed using biomarkers and diffusion or air pollution models [ 21 , 22 ]. Related methodologies should be developed for use in future surveys.…”