Air Pollution Affects Respiratory Health In Children With Asthma, Study Shows

Using data collected from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Inner-City Asthma Study (ICAS), researchers examined 861 children with persistent asthma, aged 5 to 12 years, living in low-income areas in seven U.S. inner-city communities: Boston, the Bronx, Chicago, Dallas, New York City, Seattle and Tucson. Over two years, the researchers regularly monitored the children's asthma symptoms, breathing function, and school absences, and obtained daily outdoor pollution measurements from the EPA's Aerometric Information Retrieval System. Every six months, they tested lung function twice-daily over a two-week period. They also asked the children's parents for their observations of their children's symptoms.

Results revealed that children had significantly decreased lung function following exposure to higher concentrations of the air pollutants sulfur dioxide, airborne fine particles, and nitrogen dioxide. Higher nitrogen dioxide levels and higher levels of fine particles also were associated with school absences related to asthma, and higher nitrogen dioxide levels were associated with more asthma symptoms. Because nitrogen dioxide is derived mainly from motor vehicle exhaust, these data provide evidence that car emissions may be causing adverse respiratory health effects in these urban children who have asthma.

Previous studies have documented the adverse respiratory effects of very high levels of outdoor pollutants. However, this study involves a larger cohort of inner-city asthmatic children and a more comprehensive evaluation of respiratory health effects than prior studies of this type. The study's authors report that inner-city children with asthma experience adverse health effects from air pollutants even when air pollution levels are within the current air quality standards of the Environmental Protection Agency. These findings raise questions about the current air quality standards and suggest that part of overall asthma management for children living in inner cities may need to include efforts to reduce exposure to air pollutants.

The study was conducted by the Inner City Asthma Study Group (ICAS). ICAS was started in 1996 to examine environmental interventions in the management of asthma. During its 12-year history, ICAS has contributed to the understanding of childhood asthma and ways to minimize disease consequences. Journal reference:  G O'Connor et al. Acute respiratory health effects of air pollution on asthmatic children in US inner cities. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2008).

The study was funded by NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and National Center for Research Resources (NCRR); and by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.