Archives of environmental health
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Arch. Environ. Health · Apr 2004
A 5-year follow-up of airway symptoms after nitrogen dioxide exposure in an indoor ice arena.
The authors investigated whether exposure to high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in an indoor ice hockey arena might be associated with airway symptoms 5 yr later. A follow-up questionnaire was answered by 71 subjects who had experienced such an exposure, accompanied by acute respiratory illness, in Stockholm in 1994. The same questionnaire was answered by 40 reference subjects. ⋯ Information was obtained regarding various background factors, such as smoking and respiratory symptoms since 1994. For those who had stopped playing ice hockey during the follow-up period, the exposure to high NO2 levels appeared to be associated with an increase in upper airways symptoms (i.e., nasal blockage or rhinitis) (odds ratio = 3.1, 95% confidence interval = 1.1, 8.8), after adjustment for age, smoking, and family history of allergy. These data suggest that exposure to high NO2 levels in an indoor ice arena may be associated with increased airway symptoms several years later.
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Arch. Environ. Health · Nov 2002
Comparative StudyEffects of air pollution on the prevalence and incidence of asthma in children.
The effects of air pollution on asthmatic symptoms were assessed in a prospective cohort study of 3,049 schoolchildren in 8 different communities in Japan. Respiratory symptoms in these children were evaluated by questionnaires every year from the 1st through the 6th grades. ⋯ Particulate matter less than 10 microm in diameter (PM10) was also associated with a higher incidence of asthma, although the association was not significant. These findings suggest that air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide, may be an important factor in the development of asthma among children in urban districts.
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Arch. Environ. Health · Sep 2002
Season modifies the relationship between bone and blood lead levels: the Normative Aging Study.
Bone serves as a repository for 75% and 90-95% of lead in children and adults, respectively. Bone lead mobilization heightens during times of increased bone turnover, such as pregnancy, lactation, hyperthyroidism, and the rapid growth of childhood. Blood lead levels show seasonal periodicity. ⋯ Mean patella (trabecular bone) lead concentrations were 34.3 microg/gm, 29.7 microg/gm, and 29.0 microg/gm for the summer, spring/fall, and winter time periods, respectively. In multivariate regression models, adjusted for age, smoking, alcohol ingestion, and dietary intake of iron and vitamin C, the authors found a strong interaction between season and bone lead level--with bone lead levels exerting an almost 2-fold greater influence on blood levels during the winter months than the summer months. The authors concluded that elevated blood lead levels in winter may be related to increased mobilization of endogenous bone lead stores, potentially from decreased exposure to sunlight, lower levels of activated vitamin D, and enhanced bone resorption.
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Fatigue has been associated with illness in veterans of the Gulf War; however, few studies have confirmed self-reported fatigue by using clinical evaluation, and symptomatic veterans have not been evaluated with established criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). The authors describe the frequency and clinical characteristics of CFS in a sample of veterans residing in the northwestern United States. The sample was selected randomly from U. ⋯ In comparison to several clinical studies of CFS patients, the authors of this study found a lower proportion of veterans who reported a sudden onset of symptoms (19%) vs. a gradual onset (50%). Although it has previously been suggested that veterans of the Gulf War suffer from higher rates of chronic fatigue than the general population, the study results described herein--on the basis of clinical examination of a population-based sample of veterans-actually indicate that an increased rate may indeed exist. Gulf War veterans with unexplained fatigue should be encouraged to seek treatment so that the impact of these symptoms on overall quality of life can be reduced.