The effects of air pollution on children

Air pollutants have been associated with a widevariety of adverse health effects in children. Adescription of the impact of air pollutants onchildren's health is complicated by the presence ofmany types of air pollution and by the variety ofindicators of adverse health effects. Over the periodApril-September 1994, the frequency of emergency roomvisits for asthma, bronchitis, laryngitis andbronchiolitis in the Paediatrics Department in Padua(Italy) has been documented and compared to outdoorconcentrations of airborne particulate, sulphurdioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) andozone in a case-control study. Two control groups ofchildren affected by air pollution not relateddiseases (acute gastro-enteritis or cranial trauma)have been considered. Atmospheric airborneparticulate, SO2, NOx and ozone concentrationswere obtained from the Air Quality Monitoring Networkof Padua. Statistical analysis was performed bymultiple logistic step-wise regression. A total of 468emergency room visits were noted; 139 childrensuffering from respiratory symptoms and 339 controls.The highest pollution levels were observed for ozone,with average 24 hr – concentrations, ranging from 30 to160 mcg per cubic meter, still lower than permittedlimits. No significant relationships could be foundbetween any of the pollution indices and the incidenceof emergency room visits for respiratory symptoms. Nodifference related to air pollutants was found betweendaily frequency of visits between cases and controls.Only bronchiolitis in the age < 2 years was relatedto the concentrations of NO2 (p < 0.05). Inconclusion, short-term exposure to moderately highlevels of photochemical air pollution did not resultin clear acute respiratory adverse effects inchildren.