title: Effects on pulmonary health of neighboring residents of concentrated animal feeding operations: exposure assessed using optimized estimation technique.
abstract: Potential adverse health effects of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which were also shown in the authors' Lower Saxony Lung Study, are of public concern. The authors aimed to investigate pulmonary health effect of neighboring residents assessed using optimized estimation technique. Annual ammonia emission was measured to assess the emission from CAFO and from surrounding fields. Location of sampling points was optimized using cluster analysis. Individual exposure of 457 nonfarm subjects was interpolated by weighting method. Mean estimated annual ammonia levels varied between 16 and 24 μg/m³. Higher exposed participants were more likely to be sensitized against ubiquitous allergens as compared to lower exposed subjects (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-13.2). In addition, they showed a significantly lower forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) (adjusted mean difference in % of predicted -8%; 95% CI -13% to -3%). The authors' previous findings that CAFOs may contribute to burden of respiratory diseases were confirmed by this study.
authors.affiliation: Unit for Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Clinical Centre of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Römmelt
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ehrenstein
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Strien
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Praml
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Küchenhoff
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Radon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D003625:Data Collection; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D058751:Livestock; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012621:Seasons; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens; D000641:Ammonia