Publication
Title
Air pollution and exhaled nitric oxide in Dutch schoolchildren
Author
Abstract
Background Short-term changes in air pollution exposure in children may be associated with transient increases in exhaled nitric oxide (NO), a marker of airway inflammation. Also, children living in areas with high air pollution levels and/or high traffic densities appear to have chronically increased levels of exhaled NO. No studies have simultaneously addressed the long-term and short-term associations between traffic-related air pollution and exhaled NO. Objectives To investigate associations between exhaled NO in school children and both short-term changes in outdoor PM10 and long-term traffic exposures. Methods Offline exhaled NO measurements were conducted in 812 children from nine Dutch schools within 400 m of motorways. Daily levels of particulate matter with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm (PM10) were obtained from background monitoring stations. Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution was assessed using specific traffic-related characteristics such as total, car and truck motorway traffic and the distances of the children's homes and schools from the motorway. Results A positive association was found between ambient PM10 concentrations on the day of exhaled NO measurement and exhaled NO (adjusted geometric means ratio (95% CI) 2.24 (1.37 to 3.65)) over the range of daily PM10 concentrations of 44 μg/m3), which was largely attributable to a pollution peak associated with high particulate matter emissions from traditional Easter fires. There were suggestive associations between exhaled NO and traffic counts only in children with asthma, which were not statistically significance. Conclusions Short-term changes in ambient PM10 largely attributable to biomass burning are associated with increased levels of exhaled NO.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Occupational and environmental medicine / British Medical Association. - London
Publication
London : 2011
ISSN
1351-0711
DOI
10.1136/OEM.2010.056812
Volume/pages
68 :8 (2011) , p. 551-556
ISI
000292449800001
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 29.08.2011
Last edited 15.11.2022
To cite this reference