Short-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Lung Function in the Framingham Heart Study

• Published in: American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine Vol. 188; no. 11; pp. 1351 - 1357
• Main Authors: RICE, Mary B, LJUNGMAN, Petter L, WILKER, Elissa H, GOLD, Diane R, SCHWARTZ, Joel D, KOUTRAKIS, Petros, WASHKO, George R, O'CONNOR, George T, MITTLEMAN, Murray A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY American Thoracic Society 01.12.2013
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - adverse effects; Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollutants - standards; Air pollution; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Asthma; Biological and medical sciences; Boston; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; Cohort Studies; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental protection; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume - drug effects; Forced Expiratory Volume - physiology; Humans; Humidity; Inhalation Exposure - adverse effects; Intensive care medicine; Linear Models; Male; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Nitric Oxide - adverse effects; Nitrogen dioxide; Outdoor air quality; Ozone - adverse effects; Particulate Matter - adverse effects; Particulate Matter - standards; Pneumology; Pollutants; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Spirometry; Total Lung Capacity - drug effects; Total Lung Capacity - physiology; United States; United States Environmental Protection Agency - standards; United States; Boston; United States > US; Massachusetts; Heart; Short term; Lung disease; Organism; Intensive care; Respiratory disease; Exposure; Air; Epidemiology; Asthma; Pollutant; Lung function; Health and environment; Cohort study; Bronchus disease; Air pollution; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Environmental Protection Agency; U.S; Resuscitation; Public health; air pollutants; Environmental protection
• ISSN: 1073-449X; 1535-4970; 1535-4970
• DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201308-1414oc

Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with lower lung function. Few studies have examined whether these associations are detectable at relatively low levels of pollution within current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. To examine exposure to ambient air pollutants within EPA standards and lung function in a large cohort study. We included 3,262 participants of the Framingham Offspring and Third Generation cohorts living within 40 km of the Harvard Supersite monitor in Boston, Massachusetts (5,358 examinations, 1995-2011) who were not current smokers, with previous-day pollutant levels in compliance with EPA standards. We compared lung function (FEV1 and FVC) after previous-day exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) in the "moderate" range of the EPA Air Quality Index to exposure in the "good" range. We also examined linear relationships between moving averages of pollutant concentrations 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 days before spirometry and lung function. Exposure to pollutant concentrations in the "moderate" range of the EPA Air Quality Index was associated with a 20.1-ml lower FEV1 for PM2.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], -33.4, -6.9), a 30.6-ml lower FEV1 for NO2 (95% CI, -60.9, -0.2), and a 55.7-ml lower FEV1 for O3 (95% CI, -100.7, -10.8) compared with the "good" range. The 1- and 2-day moving averages of PM2.5, NO2, and O3 before testing were negatively associated with FEV1 and FVC. Short-term exposure to PM2.5, NO2, and O3 within current EPA standards was associated with lower lung function in this cohort of adults.