Effect of Personal Exposure to PM2.5 on Respiratory Health in a Mexican Panel of Patients with COPD.
BACKGROUND
Air pollution is a problem, especially in developing countries. We examined the association between personal exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) on respiratory health in a group of adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


METHODS
All participants resided in Mexico City and during follow-up, personal exposure to PM2.5, respiratory symptoms, medications, and daily activity were registered daily. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) was measured twice daily, from February through December, 2000, in 29 adults with moderate, severe, and very severe COPD. PEF changes were estimated for each 10 µg/m³ increment of PM2.5, adjustment for severity of COPD, minimum temperature, and day of the sampling.


RESULTS
For a 10-µg/m³ increase in the daily average of a two-day personal exposure to PM2.5, there was a significant 33% increase in cough (95% CI, range, 5-69%), and 23% in phlegm (95% CI, range, 2-54%), a reduction of the PEF average in the morning of -1.4 L/min. (95% CI , range, -2.8 to -0.04), and at night of -3.0 L/min (95% CI, range, -5.7 to -0.3), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Exposure to PM2.5 was associated with reductions in PEF and increased respiratory symptoms in adults with COPD. The PEF reduction was observed both at morning and at night.
Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Morelos, Av. Universidad #655, Col. Santa María Ahuacatitlán, C.P. 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. cmarlene@insp.mx.
Marlene
M
Cortez-Lugo
Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios, Monterrey #33, Col. Roma, Del. Cuauhtémoc, C.P. 06700 México, D.F., México. mramireza@cofepris.gob.mx.
Matiana
M
Ramírez-Aguilar
Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Calz. Tlalpan #4502, Col. Sección XVI, Del. Tlalpan, C.P. 14080 México, D.F., México. perezpad@servidor.unam.mx.
Rogelio
R
Pérez-Padilla
Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Calz. Tlalpan #4502, Col. Sección XVI, Del. Tlalpan, C.P. 14080 México, D.F., México. raulsansores@yahoo.com.mx.
Raúl
R
Sansores-Martínez
Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Calz. Tlalpan #4502, Col. Sección XVI, Del. Tlalpan, C.P. 14080 México, D.F., México. aleravas@hotmail.com.
Alejandra
A
Ramírez-Venegas
Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Morelos, Av. Universidad #655, Col. Santa María Ahuacatitlán, C.P. 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. abarraza@correo.insp.mx.
Albino
A
Barraza-Villarreal
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter
COPD; PEF; PM2.5 personal exposure