title: Short-term exposure to air pollution and lung function in the Framingham Heart Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with lower lung function. Few studies have examined whether these associations are detectable at relatively low levels of pollution within current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine exposure to ambient air pollutants within EPA standards and lung function in a large cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 3,262 participants of the Framingham Offspring and Third Generation cohorts living within 40 km of the Harvard Supersite monitor in Boston, Massachusetts (5,358 examinations, 1995-2011) who were not current smokers, with previous-day pollutant levels in compliance with EPA standards. We compared lung function (FEV1 and FVC) after previous-day exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) in the "moderate" range of the EPA Air Quality Index to exposure in the "good" range. We also examined linear relationships between moving averages of pollutant concentrations 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 days before spirometry and lung function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to pollutant concentrations in the "moderate" range of the EPA Air Quality Index was associated with a 20.1-ml lower FEV1 for PM2.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], -33.4, -6.9), a 30.6-ml lower FEV1 for NO2 (95% CI, -60.9, -0.2), and a 55.7-ml lower FEV1 for O3 (95% CI, -100.7, -10.8) compared with the "good" range. The 1- and 2-day moving averages of PM2.5, NO2, and O3 before testing were negatively associated with FEV1 and FVC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Short-term exposure to PM2.5, NO2, and O3 within current EPA standards was associated with lower lung function in this cohort of adults.
authors.affiliation: 1 Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Mary B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: Petter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ljungman
authors.forename: Elissa H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Wilker
authors.forename: Diane R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.forename: Joel D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koutrakis
authors.forename: George R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Washko
authors.forename: George T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Murray A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mittleman
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards; D001900:Boston; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000009:adverse effects; D010126:Ozone / Q000009:adverse effects; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards; D013147:Spirometry; D014109:Total Lung Capacity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010126:Ozone