Acute effects on pulmonary function in young healthy adults exposed to traffic-related air pollution in semi-closed transport hub in Beijing.
OBJECTIVE
Transport hub is an important part of urban comprehensive transportation system. Traffic-related air pollution can reach high level because of difficulty of diffusion and increase of emission in transport hub. However, whether exposure in this semi-closed traffic micro-environment causes acute changes in pulmonary function of commuters still needs to be explored.


METHODS
Forty young healthy adults participated in this randomized, crossover study. Each participant underwent 2 h exposure in a designated transport hub and, on a separate occasion, in an appointed park. Personal exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC) and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were assessed pre-, during and post-exposure. Mixed linear models were used to analyze the pulmonary effects of traffic-related air pollutants.


RESULTS
Participants had significantly higher exposures to PM2.5, BC and CO in the transport hub than in the park. Exposure in transport hub induced significant reductions in FEV1and PEF compared with the park during exposure 1 and 2 h. The reductions were significant associated with traffic-related air pollutants. For instance, per 10 μg/m3increment in PM2.5was associated with -0.15 % (95 % CI -0.28, -0.02 %) reduction in FEV1during exposure 2 h. However, effects became attenuate after 2 h exposure.


CONCLUSIONS
Short-term exposure in transport hub had acute reduction effects on pulmonary function. More attention should be paid to the health effects of exposure in the semi-closed traffic micro-environment.
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, Peking University School of Public Health, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
Jing
J
Huang
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, Peking University School of Public Health, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
Furong
F
Deng
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, Peking University School of Public Health, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
Shaowei
S
Wu
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, Peking University School of Public Health, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
Yan
Y
Zhao
Department of Public Health, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
Masayuki
M
Shima
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, Peking University School of Public Health, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
Bin
B
Guo
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, Peking University School of Public Health, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
Qichen
Q
Liu
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, Peking University School of Public Health, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China. xguo@hsc.pku.edu.cn.
Xinbiao
X
Guo
D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000068476:Beijing; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000633:toxicity*; D055815:Young Adult
D000393:Air Pollutants; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
Acute effects; Pulmonary function; Traffic-related air pollution; Transport hub; Young healthy adults