Respiratory health effects among schoolchildren and their relationship to air pollutants in Korea

Int J Environ Health Res. 2009 Feb;19(1):31-48. doi: 10.1080/09603120802272201.

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between five air pollutants (PM(10), SO(2), NO(2), O(3), CO) measured on the daily basis, and adverse health symptoms using epidemiological surveillance data. The generalized estimated equation (GEE) model, a logistic regression analysis model, was used to estimate the effects of air pollution on children's daily health symptoms, focusing on the morbidity including both respiratory and allergic symptoms in four different cities. Analysis of the effects of each pollutant on children's respiratory and allergic symptoms demonstrated that CO affected all symptoms in all the study areas. When the concentration of SO(2) and NO(2) was elevated, upper respiratory symptoms increased significantly. In contrast, when the concentration of O(3) rose, the symptoms decreased significantly. The relationship between measured concentrations and health symptoms was site-dependent for each pollutant.

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants / adverse effects*
  • Air Pollutants / chemistry
  • Air Pollution / adverse effects*
  • Carbon Monoxide / chemistry
  • Carbon Monoxide / toxicity
  • Child
  • Environmental Exposure / adverse effects
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypersensitivity / epidemiology
  • Hypersensitivity / etiology*
  • Korea / epidemiology
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Nitrogen Dioxide / chemistry
  • Nitrogen Dioxide / toxicity
  • Ozone / chemistry
  • Ozone / toxicity
  • Particulate Matter / chemistry
  • Particulate Matter / toxicity
  • Population Surveillance
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / epidemiology
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / etiology*
  • Sulfur Dioxide / chemistry
  • Sulfur Dioxide / toxicity
  • Urban Population / statistics & numerical data

Substances

  • Air Pollutants
  • Particulate Matter
  • Sulfur Dioxide
  • Ozone
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Nitrogen Dioxide