Effects of Airborne Particulate Matter on Respiratory Morbidity in Asthmatic Children

Abstract

BackgroundThe effects of airborne particulate matter (PM) are a major human health concern. In this panel study, we evaluated the acute effects of exposure to PM on peak expiratory flow (PEF) and wheezing in children.MethodsDaily PEF and wheezing were examined in 19 asthmatic children who were hospitalized in a suburban city in Japan for approximately 5 months. The concentrations of PM less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) were monitored at a monitoring station proximal to the hospital. Moreover, PM2.5 concentrations inside and outside the hospital were measured using the dust monitor with a laser diode (PM2.5(LD)). The changes in PEF and wheezing associated with PM concentration were analyzed.ResultsThe changes in PEF in the morning and evening were significantly associated with increases in the average concentration of indoor PM2.5(LD) 24 h prior to measurement (-2.86 L/min [95%CI: -4.12, -1.61] and -3.59 L/min [95%CI: -4.99, -2.20] respectively, for 10-µg/m3 increases). The change in PEF was also significantly associated with outdoor PM2.5(LD) concentrations, but the changes were smaller than those observed for indoor PM2.5(LD). Changes in PEF and concentration of stationary-site PM2.5 were not associated. The prevalence of wheezing in the morning and evening were also significantly associated with indoor PM2.5(LD) concentrations (odds ratios = 1.014 [95%CI: 1.006, 1.023] and 1.025 [95%CI: 1.013, 1.038] respectively, for 10-µg/m3 increases). Wheezing in the evening was significantly associated with outdoor PM2.5(LD) concentration. The effects of indoor and outdoor PM2.5(LD) remained significant even after adjusting for ambient nitrogen dioxide concentrations.ConclusionIndoor and outdoor PM2.5(LD) concentrations were associated with PEF and wheezing among asthmatic children. Indoor PM2.5(LD) had a more marked effect than outdoor PM2.5(LD) or stationary-site PM2.5.

A rapid assessment of the impact of hazard reduction burning around Sydney, May 2016

“…A PubMed search identified 11 new articles: 6 from the Americas (Sarnat et al, 2012;O'Connor et al, 2008;Escamilla-Nuñez et al, 2008;Liu et al, 2009;Castro et al, 2009;Dales et al, 2009), 2 from Europe (Andersen et al, 2008b;Coneus & Spiess, 2012), and 3 from Asia (Min et al, 2008;Yamazaki et al, 2011;Ma et al, 2008). All, except two, studies investigated school-aged asthmatic and/or symptomatic children, while the remaining two considered infants and toddlers (Andersen et al 2008b;Coneus & Spiess, 2012).…”

“…All, except two, studies investigated school-aged asthmatic and/or symptomatic children, while the remaining two considered infants and toddlers (Andersen et al 2008b;Coneus & Spiess, 2012). Most of the studies observed positive associations between short-term exposure to NO 2 (or nitrogen oxides) for different lags and respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing (O'Connor et al, 2008;Escamilla-Nuñez et al, 2008;Andersen et al, 2008b), as well as for exhaled nitric oxide (Sarnat et al, 2012) and also for pulmonary function decrease (O'Connor et al, 2008;Liu et al, 2009;Castro et al, 2009;Dales et al 2009;Min et al, 2008;Yamazaki et al, 2011;Ma et al, 2008) in children, although not all of them were statistically significant (Dales et al, 2009). One article reported numerical data only for PM (Min et al, 2008).…”

Respiratory health and indoor air pollutants based on quantitative exposure assessments

“…Significant associations were mainly observed among symptomatic subjects. In this population, indoor particulate matter concentration has been related to a decrease in lung function, in particular among children with asthma [117][118][119][120] and, to a lesser extent, to an increased risk of asthmatic and bronchitis-like symptoms [121,122]. In a cohort of 150 asthmatic children, PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 concentrations, assessed three times every 3 months, were positively associated with the incidence rate of several respiratory symptoms, including cough, asthma symptoms and wheezing [121].…”

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and wheeze in a cohort of children with asthma in Fresno, CA

“…Annually, asthma causes over 10.5 million physician visits and is projected to cost the US over 20 billion dollars in health expenditures and lost productivity (National Institutes of Health, 2009). Traffic emissions are associated with increased asthma morbidity (Ma, et al, 2008; Ward and Ayres, 2004) and possibly asthma onset (McConnell, et al, 2010). Air pollution has been linked to a variety of health outcomes, but the strongest evidence for pathways from exposure to disease exists for traffic-related air pollution and cardiovascular disease (Rosenlund, Berglind, Pershagen, Hallqvist, Jonson and Bellander, 2006; Tonne, Melly, Mittleman, Coull, Goldberg and Schwartz, 2007), all cause mortality (Jerrett, et al, 2009a; Jerrett, et al, 2009b), and asthma exacerbations (Kunzli, et al, 2000).…”