[Short-term effects of air pollutants on pulmonary function in adolescent with a history of asthma or allergies].
BACKGROUND
Transboundary pollution including airborne fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) has been attracting attention in recent years and its health effects are concerned. We evaluated the short-term effects of air pollutants on pulmonary function among young students.


METHODS
Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were examined every morning for 1 month in 37 students who attend a school in a remote island of the Seto Inland Sea. The concentrations of fine and coarse particles (PM(2.5) and PM(10-2.5)), optical black carbon (OBC) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) were measured on the rooftop of the school.


RESULTS
The change in PEF was significantly associated with an increase in the prior 24-h average concentration of PM(2.5) among subjects with a history of asthma (-42.5 L/min [95% confidence interval (CI): -77.0, -8.1], for an interquartile rage increase of 17.6 μg/m³). Negative associations between pulmonary function and the concentrations of NO₂and OBC were observed as well. On the other hand, among the subjects with a history of allergy other than asthma and those without such history, negative association between air pollutants and pulmonary function was not observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Subjects with a history of asthma are considered to be more affected by short-term exposure to air pollutants.
Department of Public Health, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan.
Yoshiko
Y
Yoda
National Institute of Technology, Yuge College.
Hiroshi
H
Takagi
National Institute of Technology, Yuge College.
Junko
J
Wakamatu
Department of Public Health, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan.
Naruhito
N
Otani
Department of Public Health, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan.
Masayuki
M
Shima
D000293:Adolescent; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007564:Japan; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male
D000393:Air Pollutants