Relationship between Air Pollution Exposure in Daily Travelling Activities and Health Impact on Primary School Children

Abstract

This study relates to the pulmonary function of school age children and the air quality of public transport in Hong Kong. It focuses on selected primary five or six students from schools in Hong Kong. A log book and a questionnaire were distributed through the schools to and completed by these students. Each sampled student had to fill in the daily travelling activities and also required to answer questions related to their indoor living conditions. The sampled students were required to conduct a pulmonary function test. The air pollutants such as PM10, PM2.5, CO2, CO and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) were measured following the routes to school and return home of sampled students. A statistical analysis, ANCOVA, was performed on the modes of transportation and the lung function test results. It was found that different modes of transportation have significant difference on the student’s lung function. It was also found that students who go to school by Mass Transit Railway (MTR) had significant better pulmonary function values than any others. Statistical regression was further applied to quantify the effect of different parameter to pulmonary function.

Keywords

• Pulmonary Function Test,Transportation Air Quality,Exposure Study

İlköğretim Öğrencilerinin Günlük Ulaşım Aktivitesindeki Hava Kirliliğine Maruz Kalması ile Sağlığa Etki Göstergesi Arasındaki İlişkinin Araştırılması

Abstract

Bu çalışma, okul çağındaki çocukların solunum fonksiyonları ve Hong Kong'daki toplu taşıma araçlarının hava kalitesi ile ilgilidir. Hong Kong'daki okullarda eğitim gören rassal beş - altı öğrenci seçilmiştir. Verilerin toplanması, ilgili öğrencilere okullar aracılığıyla kayıt defteri ve anket dağıtılarak tamamlanmıştır. Katılımcı öğrencilerin her birinden günlük seyir aktivitelerini doldurmaları ve iç mekânda geçen yaşam koşullarıyla ilgili soruları cevaplamaları istenmiştir. Öğrencilere ayrıca Solunum Fonksiyon Testi uygulanmıştır. Öğrencilerin okula gidiş ve okuldan eve dönüş güzergâhlarındaki PM10, PM2.5, CO2, CO ve Uçucu Organik Bileşikler (VOCs) gibi hava kirleticilerinin seviyesi ölçülmüştür. Taşıma türleri ve akciğer fonksiyon test sonuçlarının istatistiksel analizi için ANCOVA’ya başvurulmuştur. Raylı Toplu Taşıma Sistemi (MTR) ile okula giden öğrencilerin Solunum Fonksiyon Testi sonuçlarının diğerlerinden daha iyi olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Ek olarak, farklı parametrelerin solunum fonksiyonu üzerindeki etkisini ölçmek için regresyon uygulanmıştır.

Keywords

• Solunum Fonksiyon Testi,Ulaşım Hava Kalitesi,Maruz Kalma

References

1. Beres, A., Aspirot, A., Paris, C., Berube, D., Bouchard, S., Laberge, J.M., Lands, L.C., Puligandla, P. (2011) A contemporary evaluation of pulmonary function in children undergoing lung resection in infancy. Journal of Pediatric Surgery 46, 829-832
2. Chen, F., Rang, W.Q., Fan, K., Qiu, Y.J., Tan, H.Q., Chen, Z.Y. (1996) Effects of SO2 on children's small airway function and multivariate analysis. Chinese Journal of School Doctor 10, 405–407.
3. Constant, C., Sampaio, I., Negreiro, F., Aguiar, P., Silva, A.M., Salgueuri, M., Bandeira, T. (2011) Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and respiratory morbidity in school age children. Rev Port Pneumol. 17(1), 20-26.
4. Couriel, J.M., Child, F. (2006) Applied physiology: Lung function tests in children. Current Paediatrics 16, 413-419.
5. Dong, S.Z., Zhang, Z.Y., Cai, C.K., Hu, Q.S., Lin, Z.N. (1999) Effects of air pollution on pulmonary function of children in industrial area. Journal of Environment and Health 16, 71–73.
6. George, D., Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. 11.0 update (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
7. Jedrychowski, W., Maugeri, U., Jedrychowsak-Bianchi, I., Flak, E. (2005) Effect of indoor air quality in the postnatal period on lung function in pre-adolescent children: a retrospective cohort study in Poland. Public Health 119, 535-541.
8. Kasamatsu, J., Shima, M., Yamazaki, S., Tamura, K., Sun, G. (2006) Effects of winter air pollution on pulmonary function of school children in Shenyang, China. Int. J. Hyg. Environ.-Health 209, 435-444.

9. Kline, P. (1999). The handbook of psychological testing (2nd ed.). London: Routledge
10. Lee, Y.L., Wang, W.H., Lu, C.W., Lin, Y.H., Hwang, B.F. (2011) Effects of ambient air pollution on pulmonary function among schoolchildren. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 214, 369-375.
11. Liu, L., Zhang, J. (2009) Ambient air pollution and children’s lung function in China. Environment International 35, 178-186.
12. Neuberger, M., Moshammer, H., Kundi, M. (2002) Declining ambient air pollution and lung function improvement in Austrian children. Atmospheric Environment 36, 1733-1736. Paton, J.Y. (2000) A practical approach to the interpretation of lung function testing in children. Paediatric Respiratory Reviews 1, 241-248.
13. Peng, Z.G., Chen, J., Zhang, Y., Meng, X.X., Li, Q. (2001 b) Cross-sectional study of air pollution and children's pulmonary functions in Chongqing. Environmental Monitoring in China 17, 98–102.
14. Peng, Z.G., Li, Q., Meng, X.X., Zhang, Y., Chen, J. (2001a) Canonical correlation analysis of air pollution with children's lung function. Environmental Monitoring in China 17, 76–80.
15. Sun, X.M., Sun, G.F., Tamura, K.J., Dao, Z.Z., Guo, X.Y., Liu, S. (2004) Effect of air pollution on pupil's lung function in Shenyang. Chinese Journal of Public Health 20, 917–918.
16. Wang, H.M., Fu, K., Zhao, M., Bai, Y., Gu, W.F., Zhang, H. (2004) An epidemiological study on effects of indoor and outdoor air pollution on children's lung function and its correlation factors. Shanxi Medical Journal 33, 931–934.
17. Wang, H.Z., Zhao, C.H., Gu, H., Cheng, Y.B., Jin, Y.L. (2003) Effects of air pollution from coal combustion on lung function in children. Journal of Hygiene Research 32, 138–140.
18. Yin, X.F., Qu, J.,Wang, Z.F.,Wang, J.W.,Wang, B.Y., Chen, P.J. (2005) The air quality near a gasworksin Weihai city and its effects on children's health and lung function. Preventive Medicine Tribune 11,179–80.
19. Zhang, T., Cheng, S.Q., He, Z.M., Liu, Y.F. (1996) Influence of atmosphere pollution of IP and TSP on children's pulmonary ventilative functions in Chongqing. Journal of Chongqing Medical University 21, 333–336.
20. Zhao, B.X. (2003) Study on the effect of PM10 and SO2 air pollution on children's pulmonary function in Taiyuan city, China. Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 20, 203–206.
21. Zhou, H.R., Wang, S.J., Sun, X.Y., Xiao, H.P., Xiu, Q. (1986) Effects of air pollution of different levels on children's peripheral small airway function. Journal of Environment and Health 3, 13–15.