Air Pollution from Traffic and the Development of Respiratory Infections and Asthmatic and Allergic Symptoms in Children

Abstract

Despite the important contribution of traffic sources to urban air quality, relatively few studies have evaluated the effects of traffic-related air pollution on health, such as its influence on the development of asthma and other childhood respiratory diseases. We examined the relationship between traffic-related air pollution and the development of asthmatic/allergic symptoms and respiratory infections in a birth cohort (n approximately 4,000) study in The Netherlands. A validated model was used to assign outdoor concentrations of traffic-related air pollutants (nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter less than 2.5 micro m in aerodynamic diameter, and "soot") at the home of each subject of the cohort. Questionnaire-derived data on wheezing, dry nighttime cough, ear, nose, and throat infections, skin rash, and physician-diagnosed asthma, bronchitis, influenza, and eczema at 2 years of age were analyzed in relation to air pollutants. Adjusted odds ratios for wheezing, physician-diagnosed asthma, ear/nose/throat infections, and flu/serious colds indicated positive associations with air pollutants, some of which reached borderline statistical significance. No associations were observed for the other health outcomes analyzed. Sensitivity analyses generally supported these results and suggested somewhat stronger associations with traffic, for asthma that was diagnosed before 1 year of age. These findings are subject to confirmation at older ages, when asthma can be more readily diagnosed.

The importance of the exposure metric in air pollution epidemiology studies: When does it matter, and why?

“…Though many studies of the chronic health effects associated with long-term exposure to air pollution (often from large, well-known cohorts) examine the use of an alternative exposure metric in an epidemiologic study (Adar et al 2013;Brauer et al 2002;Jerrett et al 2008;Puett et al 2011;Young et al 2014;Zmirou et al 2004), only the seven studies found by the authors and described below examine multiple approaches to exposure assessment, and include comparison of the epidemiologic results obtained when using each exposure metric. However, many manuscripts lacked definitive conclusions about which exposure metric was most beneficial, and the wide range of health outcomes, exposure metrics, and exposure durations of interest used make it difficult to draw larger conclusions from these studies.…”

Intercity transferability of land use regression models for estimating ambient concentrations of nitrogen dioxide

“…The literature examining the effects of motor vehicle emissions on respiratory and cardiovascular health is extensive (e.g., Ku¨nzli et al, 2000;Brauer et al, 2002Brauer et al, , 2007Brunekreef and Holgate, 2002;Hoek et al, 2002a, b;Gauderman et al, 2005;Krzyzanowski et al, 2005;Wilhelm and Ritz, 2005). Geographic estimates of ambient concentration distributions enable assessment of within-city variability of traffic-related pollutants for epidemiological studies of their health impacts.…”

An investigation of the association between traffic exposure and the diagnosis of asthma in children

“…Several studies have indicated that children who live near traffic have greater symptoms and increased hospitalizations for asthma (Edwards et al, 1994, Brauer et al, 2002. The severity of asthma symptoms is also associated with ambient benzene concentrations (Thompson et al, 2001;Delfino et al, 2003).…”