FINE PARTICLES AIR POLLUTION AND LUNG FUNCTION IN ISRAELI ASTHMATIC AND HEALTHY CHILDREN LIVING NEAR 2 POWER PLANTS

Abstract

ISEE-44 Objectives: To assess the relationship between air pollution by fine particles (PM10 PM2.5) and lung function in asthmatic school children living near two power plants in Israel. Methods: 232 asthmatic school children and 60 Healthy children were arbitrarily divided into 5 subgroups. Every subgroup participated in the study for 4 weeks during the spring and autumn of 2000. Each child performed a self peak flow test (PEF) twice a day and completed a respiratory simptoms diary. In addition to meteorological conditions, fine particles were measured by 5 fixed stations in the corresponding areas. The meteorological and pollution data were averaged over hours in order to get one-record-per-day data file including PEF measurments. Statistical methods: First stage: multivariate regression models aiming to remove possible variance of the individual parameters (age, gender, weight, height). Dependent variable was PEF. Second stage: adjustment for seasonality-a sort of generalized linear time series model based on pairs of sin/cos functions with year, half-year, seasonal and other periods:harmonic analysis model. The dependent variable was a residual of the dependent from the first model. The same procedure was executed for all the pollution and meteorological variables. Third stage: generalized estimating equations (GEE) models trying to identify potential effects of pollution. The dependent variable was a residual of the dependent variable after the second stage of modeling while independent variables were residuals of the meteorological and pollution variables after the second stage. Results: In most of the communities under study an association between air pollution and lung function was ibserved in the sick children. In two communities this effect was significantly found in the healthy children. Conclusion: There is a significant effect of air pollution by fine particles on lung functions of asthmatic and healthy children.