Particulate matter air pollution and respiratory symptoms in individuals having either asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a European multicentre panel study

Abstract

BackgroundParticulate matter air pollution has been associated with adverse health effects. The fraction of ambient particles that are mainly responsible for the observed health effects is still a matter of controversy. Better characterization of the health relevant particle fraction will have major implications for air quality policy since it will determine which sources should be controlled.The RUPIOH study, an EU-funded multicentre study, was designed to examine the distribution of various ambient particle metrics in four European cities (Amsterdam, Athens, Birmingham, Helsinki) and assess their health effects in participants with asthma or COPD, based on a detailed exposure assessment. In this paper the association of central site measurements with respiratory symptoms and restriction of activities is examined.MethodsAt each centre a panel of participants with either asthma or COPD recorded respiratory symptoms and restriction of activities in a diary for six months. Exposure assessment included simultaneous measurements of coarse, fine and ultrafine particles at a central site. Data on gaseous pollutants were also collected. The associations of the 24-hour average concentrations of air pollution indices with the health outcomes were assessed in a hierarchical modelling approach. A city specific analysis controlling for potential confounders was followed by a meta-analysis to provide overall effect estimates.ResultsA 10 μg/m3 increase in previous day coarse particles concentrations was positively associated with most symptoms (an increase of 0.6 to 0.7% in average) and limitation in walking (OR= 1.076, 95% CI: 1.026-1.128). Same day, previous day and previous two days ozone concentrations were positively associated with cough (OR= 1.061, 95% CI: 1.013-1.111; OR= 1.049, 95% CI: 1.016-1.083 and OR= 1.059, 95% CI: 1.027-1.091, respectively). No consistent associations were observed between fine particle concentrations, nitrogen dioxide and respiratory health effects. As for particle number concentrations negative association (mostly non-significant at the nominal level) was observed with most symptoms whilst the positive association with limitation of activities did not reach the nominal level of significance.ConclusionsThe observed associations with coarse particles are in agreement with the findings of toxicological studies. Together they suggest it is prudent to regulate also coarse particles in addition to fine particles.

Particulate Matter From Saudi Arabia Induces Genes Involved in Inflammation, Metabolic Syndrome and Atherosclerosis

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African Dust Storms Reaching Puerto Rican Coast Stimulate the Secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 and Cause Cytotoxicity to Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells (BEAS-2B)

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Assessment of Toilet’s Indoor Air Quality in Relation to Asthmatic People

“…The duration of time that people spent indoor and the risk to health posed by indoor air are the most issue that encourage researchers to conduct the study on indoor air (Frontczak & Wargocki, 2011;Lee, 1997;Massey et al, 2009). In addition, several findings of IAQ studies from previous researchers indicated that coarse particulate matter (PM 10 ) which is less than 10 micrometers in diameter (Brunekreef & Forsberg, 2005;Donaldson et al, 2000;Karakatsani et al, 2012;Zhang, 2005), fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) which is less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (Brunekreef & Forsberg, 2005;Karakatsani et al, 2012) and Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2 ) (Awbi, 1991;Guo, 2012;Luttinger & Wilson, 2003;Restrepo, 2012;Tseng et al, 2012) in particular concentration could lead adverse effect for human inhalation such as asthmatic symptoms. However, the exposure of SO 2 on human inhalation for asthmatic people in a concise time at particular concentration gives more significant effect to trigger the asthmatic symptoms as compared to PM 10 and PM 2.5 (World Health Organization, 1987).…”