Non-biological particles and health / Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants ; chairman, Stephen Holgate ; chairman of the Sub-Group on Non-Biological Particles and Health, Robert Waller.

  • Great Britain. Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants
Date:
1995
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Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Non-biological particles and health / Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants ; chairman, Stephen Holgate ; chairman of the Sub-Group on Non-Biological Particles and Health, Robert Waller. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Lung function Summary References 82 7.54 The results of panel studies have shown a fairly consistent effect on lung function but many of these changes relate more to ozone than particles. Nevertheless, reductions in peak flow of the order of 5% have been shown when particulate exposures exceed 150 1g/m°, while an attempt at quantification suggested that peak flow might fall by 0.8 to 1.6 I/min for a 20 g/m’ rise in PM,,. Most of these studies are in children. This suggests that particulate exposure at levels which may be experienced in the UK may have an effect on peak flow. 7.55 Changes in spirometric variables have been shown to relate to variations in levels of pollutants although there has been a wide range of reported responses. In two studies in children which have been reported from Holland, one showed no significant fall in FEV,, while a later study showed a significant, 0.35% fall for a 10 Lg/m? rise in PM,,.°7! 7.56 There are now avery substantial number of population-based epidemiological studies, principally, but by no means solely, from North America, giving quantitative exposure-response relationships linking mortality and hospital usage with same-day or previous day SPM pollution, having adjusted for seasonal and for other time- related factors, and for weather. There is also evidence from several panel studies that daily variations in exposure to particulate pollution may have an effect on lung function, and in some cases, on symptoms. Although asthmatic patients appear to be more sensitive to the less serious health effects examined in panel studies, it is not clear which subgroups may be particularly at risk from such effects nor what the significance of these effects may be in the long term. These and other aspects will be considered further in Chapter 8. 1. Bates DV. Health indices of the adverse effects of air pollutants: the question of coherence. Environ Res 1992; 59:336-349. 2. Dockery DW, Pope CA. Acute respiratory effects of particulate air pollution. Annu Rev Public Health 1994; 15:107-132. 3. | Schwartz J. What are people dying of on high air pollution days? Environ Res 1994; 64:26-35. 4. Utell MJ, Samet JM. Particulate air pollution and health: new evidence of an old problem [Editorial]. Am Rev Respir Dis 1993; 147:1334-1335. 5. Burnett RT, Dales RE, Raizenne ME, Krewski D, Summers PW, Roberts GR, Raad- Young M, Dann T, Brook J. Effects of low ambient levels of ozone and sulfates on the frequency of respiratory admissions to Ontario hospitals. Environ Res 1994; 65:172-194. 6. Schwartz J. Air pollution and hospital admissions for the elderly in Detroit, Michigan. Am J Respir Crit Med 1994; 150:648-655. 7. Diggle PJ, Liang K-Y, Zeger SL. Analysis of longitudinal data. Oxford: OUP, 1994. | 8. Schwartz J, Zeger SL. Passive smoking, air pollution and acute respiratory symptoms in a diary study of student nurses. Am Rev Respir Dis 1990; 141:62- 67. 9. Draper NR, Smith H. Applied regression analysis. New York: Wiley, 1981; 162-169. 10. Whittemore AS, Korn EL. Asthma and air pollution in the Los Angeles area. Am J Public Health 1980; 70:687-696. 11. Mazumdar S, Schimmel H, Higgins ITT. Relation of daily mortality to air pollution: an analysis of 14 London winters, 1958/59-1971/72. Arch Environ Health 1982; 37:213-220.
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