The domestic environment and respiratory health of school children in Zongshan, China.
There have been many reports on the adverse impacts of exposures to particulate matter in the air but relatively few of these have been related to exposures to ultrafine particles (UFP) in the indoor environment. To investigate exposures to (UFP) in domestic environments, and the association with childhood respiratory symptoms in Zongshan, China a modified Thoracic Society questionnaire was completed by 359 households with children. Air quality monitoring took place in 37 households using a P-Trak instrument to determine concentration of UFPs in rooms. The mean number of UFP was 4.1 × 10(4) cm(-3). A range of factors was found to be associated with UFP concentration and self-reported childhood respiratory symptoms. In conclusion, the evidence suggests that behavioural and environmental factors contribute to increased UFP concentrations indoors although there was no statistically signification correlation between indoor ultrafine particle concentration and any reported repeated episodes of respiratory symptoms.
WHO Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health Impact Assessment Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia J.Spickett@curtin.edu.au.
Jeffery
J
Spickett
WHO Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health Impact Assessment Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Krassi
K
Rumchev
WHO Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health Impact Assessment Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
He
H
Jing
D000293:Adolescent; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D052638:Particulate Matter
China; children; indoor environment; respiratory symptoms; ultrafine particles