Environmental research
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Environmental research · Jul 2014
Associations between ozone, PM2.5, and four pollen types on emergency department pediatric asthma events during the warm season in New Jersey: a case-crossover study.
Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases among school-aged children in the United States. Environmental respiratory irritants exacerbate asthma among children. Understanding the impact of a variety of known and biologically plausible environmental irritants and triggers among children in New Jersey - ozone, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), tree pollen, weed pollen, grass pollen and ragweed - would allow for informed public health interventions. ⋯ The ambient air pollutant ozone is associated with increases in pediatric emergency department asthma visits during the warm weather season. The different pollen types showed different associations with the outcome. High levels of tree pollen appear to be an important risk factor in asthma exacerbations.
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Environmental research · Jul 2014
Macro-activity patterns of farmworker and non-farmworker children living in an agricultural community.
Children of farmworkers have significantly higher exposure to pesticides than do other children living in the same agricultural communities, but there is limited information about how and where older farmworker children (>6) spend their time and how their activities might influence the risk of pesticide exposure. ⋯ This study demonstrates that multiple factors, including agricultural season and parental occupation, may be associated with differences in activity patterns that could influence risk of pesticide exposure among children living in agricultural communities. As such, these factors may influence variation in exposure risks and should be considered when analyzing pesticide exposure measurements in these groups.