Nitrogen Dioxide in Infants' Bedrooms: A Feasibility Study for Household Based Measurements

Abstract

To determine the feasibility of postal methods to measure indoor and outdoor levels of nitrogen dioxide without technical intervention of trained staff. Postal distribution of Palmes diffusion tubes to the householder to measure nitrogen dioxide levels inside the baby's bedroom and outside homes followed by a questionnaire ascertaining possible sources of nitrogen dioxide. Setting: Three health districts in Avon during two weeks in November 1992; 100 women, randomly selected from those with infants 4–6 months of age, currently participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ALSPAC). Outcome measures: Response rate and evidence of understanding and implementation of the method by the householder; the comparability of results to those obtained from studies using visits by trained staff, for ratios of nitrogen dioxide outdoors/indoors and in homes with and without a gas cooker. There was a 91% response rate with all but one family carrying out the measurements successfully. The ratio...