Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Volume 164, Number 11, December 2001, 2067-2072

Respiratory Effects of Relocating to Areas of Differing Air Pollution Levels

EDWARD L. AVOL, W. JAMES GAUDERMAN, SYLVIA M. TAN, STEPHANIE J. LONDON, and JOHN M. PETERS

Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California; and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

We studied 110 children (59 boys and 51 girls, who were 10 yr of age at enrollment and 15 yr of age at follow-up) who had moved from communities participating in a 10-yr prospective study of respiratory health (The Children's Health Study [CHS]) to determine whether changes in air quality caused by relocation were associated with changes in annual lung function growth rates. The subjects were given health questionnaires and underwent spirometry in their homes across six western states, according to a protocol identical to evaluations performed annually on the CHS cohort in school. Changes in annual average exposure to particulate matter with a mean diameter of 10 µm (PM₁₀) were associated with differences in annual lung function growth rates for FEV₁, maximal midexpiratory flow, and peak expiratory flow rate. As a group, subjects who had moved to areas of lower PM₁₀ showed increased growth in lung function and subjects who moved to communities with a higher PM₁₀ showed decreased growth in lung function. A stronger trend was found for subjects who had migrated at least 3 yr before the follow-up visit than for those who had moved in the previous 1 to 2 yr. We conclude that changes in air pollution exposure during adolescent growth years have a measurable and potentially important effect on lung function growth and performance.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Grigg Particulate Matter Exposure in Children: Relevance to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Proceedings of the ATS, December 1, 2009; 6(7): 564 - 569. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Perez, N. Kunzli, E. Avol, A. M. Hricko, F. Lurmann, E. Nicholas, F. Gilliland, J. Peters, and R. McConnell Global Goods Movement and the Local Burden of Childhood Asthma in Southern California Am J Public Health, November 1, 2009; 99(S3): S622 - S628. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Schindler, D. Keidel, M. W. Gerbase, E. Zemp, R. Bettschart, O. Brandli, M. H. Brutsche, L. Burdet, W. Karrer, B. Knopfli, et al. Improvements in PM10 Exposure and Reduced Rates of Respiratory Symptoms in a Cohort of Swiss Adults (SAPALDIA) Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., April 1, 2009; 179(7): 579 - 587. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A. Schwartz Gene-Environment Interactions and Airway Disease in Children Pediatrics, March 1, 2009; 123(Supplement_3): S151 - S159. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. H. Downs, C. Schindler, L.-J. S. Liu, D. Keidel, L. Bayer-Oglesby, M. H. Brutsche, M. W. Gerbase, R. Keller, N. Kunzli, P. Leuenberger, et al. Reduced Exposure to PM10 and Attenuated Age-Related Decline in Lung Function N. Engl. J. Med., December 6, 2007; 357(23): 2338 - 2347. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. E. Pinkerton, J. R. Balmes, M. V. Fanucchi, and W. N. Rom Ozone, a Malady for All Ages Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., July 15, 2007; 176(2): 107 - 108. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. V. Fanucchi, C. G. Plopper, M. J. Evans, D. M. Hyde, L. S. Van Winkle, L. J. Gershwin, and E. S. Schelegle Cyclic exposure to ozone alters distal airway development in infant rhesus monkeys Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, October 1, 2006; 291(4): L644 - L650. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. H. Lockwood, P. J.F.M. Merkus, G. A. Tetrault, W. J. Gauderman, E. Avol, and F. Gilliland Air Pollution and Lung Function N. Engl. J. Med., December 16, 2004; 351(25): 2652 - 2653. [Full Text] [PDF]

				Committee on Environmental Health Ambient Air Pollution: Health Hazards to Children Pediatrics, December 1, 2004; 114(6): 1699 - 1707. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Sakai, Y. Sato, S. Sato, S. Ihara, M. Onizuka, Y. Sakakibara, and H. Takahashi Effect of relocating to areas of reduced atmospheric particulate matter levels on the human circulating leukocyte count J Appl Physiol, November 1, 2004; 97(5): 1774 - 1780. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. J. Gauderman, E. Avol, F. Gilliland, H. Vora, D. Thomas, K. Berhane, R. McConnell, N. Kuenzli, F. Lurmann, E. Rappaport, et al. The Effect of Air Pollution on Lung Development from 10 to 18 Years of Age N. Engl. J. Med., September 9, 2004; 351(11): 1057 - 1067. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Schwartz Air Pollution and Children's Health Pediatrics, April 1, 2004; 113(4/S1): 1037 - 1043. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. J. Woodruff, D. A. Axelrad, A. D. Kyle, O. Nweke, G. G. Miller, and B. J. Hurley Trends in Environmentally Related Childhood Illnesses Pediatrics, April 1, 2004; 113(4/S1): 1133 - 1140. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J. Archer, J. L. H. Cramton, J. C. Pfau, G. Colasurdo, and A. Holian Airway responsiveness after acute exposure to urban particulate matter 1648 in a DO11.10 murine model Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, February 1, 2004; 286(2): L337 - L343. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Kunzli, R. McConnell, D. Bates, T. Bastain, A. Hricko, F. Lurmann, E. Avol, F. Gilliland, and J. Peters Breathless in Los Angeles: The Exhausting Search for Clean Air Am J Public Health, September 1, 2003; 93(9): 1494 - 1499. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. TOBIN Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Pollution, Pulmonary Vascular Disease, Transplantation, Pleural Disease, and Lung Cancer in AJRCCM 2001 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., March 1, 2002; 165(5): 642 - 662. [Full Text] [PDF]