Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Vol 151, No. 2, 02 1995, 423-430.
Acidic particles and lung function in children. A summer camp study in the Austrian Alps
MJ Studnicka, T Frischer, R Meinert, A Studnicka-Benke, K Hajek, JD Spengler and MG Neumann
First Internal Department, Centre for Pulmonary Disease, Vienna, Austria.
Epidemiological studies have repeatedly demonstrated the effects of acidic
particles on lung function. Three consecutive panels of children
participating in a summer camp in the Austrian Alps were investigated.
On-site pollution assessment consisted of 24-h measurements of particulate
matter < 10 microns and the hydrogen, sulfate, and ammonium ion
components. The 24-h maximums of ozone and daily pollen counts were also
established. For 47, 45, and 41 subjects, daily FEV1, FVC, and peak
expiratory flow were recorded. Fifteen percent, 11%, and 5% of
participants, respectively, reported current asthma medication, indicating
a markedly increased prevalence of respiratory disease. Mean levels of
ambient pollutants were approximately 15% higher for the first panel than
for the other two panels, but the hydrogen ion (H+) component was twice as
high for Panel 1. The maximum H+ exposure during Panel 1 was 84 nmol/m3 (4
micrograms/m3 H2SO4 equivalent). For FEV1 in Panel 1, a significant
decrease of -0.99 ml per nmol/m3 H+ (p = 0.01) was observed. For Panel 2,
the FEV1/H+ coefficient was found to be similar (-0.74 ml per nmol/m3 H+; p
= 0.28), while for Panel 3 it was in the opposite direction (0.10 ml per
nmol/m3 H+; p = 0.83). The decrease in FEV1 observed in Panel 1 was more
pronounced when the mean exposure during the previous 4 d was considered
(-2.99 ml FEV1 per nmol/m3 H+; p = 0.004). We conclude that summer haze
acidic particles may be associated with transient decreases in lung
function in children.
