Relationship Between Air Pollutants and Prevalence of Allergic Disease/Pulmonary Function in Students in Incheon / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between concentrations of air pollutants and the prevalence of allergic diseases/pulmonary function among elementary school students. METHODS: There were 1,262 students in the second grade of 11 elementary schools in Incheon. At each school, 5-year mean concentration of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide and PM10 (particulate matter with diameter < or =10 microm) were calculated via the Geographic Information System through the database of the National Institute of Environmental Research. The association was compared by two ways of grouping. First, the schools were classified into adjacent and nonadjacent schools by whether the school was located within or away 1 km from air pollutant-emitting facilities. Second, the schools were divided into 2 groups those with relatively high concentrations of air pollutants based on the median level of 5-year mean concentrations and those with low concentrations. RESULTS: The concentrations of air pollutants except ozone were higher in adjacent schools than nonadjacent schools. The students of adjacent schools showed a lower level of forced expiratory volume in one second and peak expiratory flow, and higher prevalence of 'difficulty of speaking due to dyspnea, within the last year' than those of nonadjacent schools. The prevalence of this speaking difficulty was higher in schools with relatively high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and PM10 groups than in those with low concentrations of them. The relatively high level of PM10 group increased the prevalence of allergic rhinitis than the low level of PM10 group. CONCLUSION: Air pollutants may influence an increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases, especially allergic rhinitis, and a decrease in the pulmonary function in students.