Short-term effects of air pollution on oxygen saturation in a cohort of senior adults in Steubenville, Ohio.
OBJECTIVE
We examine whether ambient air pollution is associated with oxygen saturation in 32 elderly subjects in Steubenville, Ohio.


METHODS
We used linear mixed models to examine the effects of fine particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM(2.5)), sulfate (SO(4)(-2)), elemental carbon, and gases on median oxygen saturation.


RESULTS
An interquartile range increase of 13.4 μg/m in PM(2.5) on the previous day was associated with a decrease of -0.18% (95% confidence interval: -0.31 to -0.06) and a 5.1 μg/m(3) interquartile range increase in SO(4)(-2) on the previous day was associated with a decrease of -0.16% (95% confidence interval: -0.27 to -0.04) in oxygen saturation during the initial 5-minute rest period of the protocol.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased exposure to air pollution, including the nontraffic pollutant SO(4)(-2) from industrial sources, led to changes in oxygen saturation that may reflect particle-induced pulmonary inflammatory or vascular responses.
From the Departments of Environmental Health (Drs Luttmann-Gibson, Sarnat, Suh, Schwartz, Zanobetti, and Gold) and Biostatistics (Dr Coull), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health (Dr Sarnat), Emory University, Atlanta, Ga; Department of Health Sciences (Dr Suh), Northeastern University, Boston, Mass; and Channing Laboratory (Drs Schwartz and Gold), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
Heike
H
Luttmann-Gibson
Stefanie Ebelt
SE
Sarnat
Helen H
HH
Suh
Brent A
BA
Coull
Joel
J
Schwartz
Antonella
A
Zanobetti
Diane R
DR
Gold
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio; D010092:Oximetry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D013431:Sulfates / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity
D000393:Air Pollutants; D015415:Biomarkers; D052638:Particulate Matter; D013431:Sulfates; D002244:Carbon; D010100:Oxygen