HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Related articles in AJPH Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Jaakkola, J J Articles by Heinonen, O P Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Jaakkola, J J Articles by Heinonen, O P

Low-level air pollution and upper respiratory infections in children.

J J Jaakkola, M Paunio, M Virtanen and O P Heinonen

Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.

Effects of low-level air pollution were studied in one polluted city and two reference cities in northern Finland by comparing the frequency of upper respiratory infections over a 12-month period in 1982 as reported by parents of children ages 14 through 18 months (n = 679) and 6 years (n = 759). A similar comparison was carried out between children living in the more polluted and less polluted areas of the polluted city. The annual mean and the greatest half-hour concentrations of sulfur dioxide (23 and 807 micrograms/m3), particulates (31 and 291 micrograms/m3), nitrogen oxides (15 and 160 micrograms/m3), and hydrogen sulfide (2 and 177 micrograms/m3) in the polluted city were mainly due to industrial sources. In the reference cities, air pollution was produced mainly by traffic and heating. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) for one or more upper respiratory infections of residents in the polluted city vs those in the reference cities were 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-3.2) in the younger age group and 1.6 (95% CI = 1.1-2.1) in the older age group. Within the polluted city, OR calculated for living in more vs less polluted areas were 2.0 (95% CI = 1.0-4.0) in the younger and 1.6 (95% CI = 1.0-2.7) in the older children. The present results suggests that, for children, air pollution can be hazardous in concentrations lower than those recorded in earlier studies from Britain and central Europe. The synergistic effect of sulfur dioxide, particulates, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen sulfide, and other pollutants may be a contributing factor.

Related articles in AJPH:

Use of odds ratio questioned.

M J Mendell
AJPH 1992 82: 896-897. [PDF]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. S. Schiffman and C. M. Williams Science of Odor as a Potential Health Issue J. Environ. Qual., January 1, 2005; 34(1): 129 - 138. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J Chauhan and S. L Johnston Air pollution and infection in respiratory illness Br. Med. Bull., December 1, 2003; 68(1): 95 - 112. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S Hajat, H R Anderson, R W Atkinson, A Haines, and A. Seaton Effects of air pollution on general practitioner consultations for upper respiratory diseases in London * Commentary Occup. Environ. Med., May 1, 2002; 59(5): 294 - 299. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. R Hirsch Hydrogen sulfide exposure without loss of consciousness: chronic effects in four cases Toxicology and Industrial Health, March 1, 2002; 18(2): 51 - 61. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N. Gouveia and T. Fletcher Respiratory diseases in children and outdoor air pollution in Sao Paulo, Brazil: a time series analysis Occup. Environ. Med., July 1, 2000; 57(7): 477 - 483. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				S. H. Myint Common Colds, Asthma and Indoor Air Quality Indoor and Built Environment, September 1, 1994; 3(5): 274 - 277. [Abstract] [PDF]