• Hye-Kyung Park, Kai-Chung Cheng, Afua O Tetteh, Lynn M Hildemann, and Kari C Nadeau.
• a Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine , Stanford , CA , USA.
• J Asthma. 2017 May 1; 54 (4): 341-346.

ObjectiveEpidemiologic studies indicate that indoor air pollution is correlated with morbidity caused by allergic diseases. We evaluated the effectiveness of reducing the levels of indoor fine particulate matter <2.5 micrometer diameter (PM2.5) in Fresno, California using air purifiers on health outcomes in children with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis.MethodsThe active group (with air purifiers) and the control group consisted of eight houses each. Air purifiers were installed in the living rooms and bedrooms of the subjects in the active group during the entire 12-week study duration. Childhood asthma control test, peak flow rate monitoring, and nasal symptom scores were evaluated at weeks 0, 6, and 12.ResultsAt 12 weeks, the active group showed a trend toward an improvement of childhood asthma control test scores and mean evening peak flow rates, whereas the control group showed deterioration in the same measures. Total and daytime nasal symptoms scores significantly reduced in the active group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). The average indoor PM2.5 concentrations reduced by 43% (7.42 to 4.28 μg/m3) in the active group (p = 0.001).ConclusionsIntervention with air purifiers reduces indoor PM2.5 levels with significant improvements in nasal symptoms in children with allergic rhinitis in Fresno.

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