Exposure to air pollution and pulmonary function in university students.
OBJECTIVE
Exposure to air pollution has been reported to be associated with increase in pulmonary disease. The aims of the present study were to examine the use of personal nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) samplers as a means of measuring exposure to air pollution and to investigate the relationship between personal exposure to air pollution and pulmonary function.


METHODS
We measured individual exposures to NO(2) using passive personal NO(2) samplers for 298 healthy university students. Questionnaire interview was conducted for traffic-related factors, and spirometry was performed when the samplers were returned after 1 day.


RESULTS
Personal NO(2) concentrations varied, depending on the distance between residence and a main road (P=0.029). Students who used transportation for more than 1 h were exposed to higher levels of NO(2) than those using transportation for less than 1 h (P=0.032). In terms of transportation, riding in a bus or subway caused significantly higher exposure than not using them (P=0.046). NO(2) exposure was not significantly associated with forced vital capacity (FVC) or forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) but was associated with the ratio of FEV(1)/FVC and mid-expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of the forced vital capacity (FEF(25-75)) (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that concentrations of personal exposure to NO(2) are significantly influenced by traffic-related air pollution and are associated with decreased pulmonary function.
Hong
Yun-Chul
YC
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, Inha University, 7-241, 3rd Street, Shinheung-Dong, Jung-Gu, Incheon, 400-103, South Korea. ychong@inha.ac.kr
Leem
Jong-Han
JH
Lee
Kwan-Hee
KH
Park
Dong-Hyun
DH
Jang
Jae-Yeon
JY
Kim
Sun-Tae
ST
Ha
Eun-Hee
EH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007723:Korea; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012907:Smoking; D013334:Students; D014186:Transportation; D014495:Universities
D000393:Air Pollutants; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide