Coarse Particles Associated with Asthma Hospitalization Among Children
This study used two analytical techniques to assess associations between different size fractions of particulate matter and asthma hospitalization among children ages 6-12 living in Toronto, Canada between 1981 and 1993.
The researchers found a stronger effect of coarse particles (PM10-2.5) on asthma hospitalization compared with both PM2.5 and PM10, using both analytical techniques. The stronger effect of PM10-2.5 persisted, even after adjusting for the effects of gaseous air pollutants.
There are few studies of the coarse particle fraction, and they are of particular interest because U.S. EPA will likely establish a new standard for coarse particles.
Lin, M., Chen, Y, Burnett, R.T., Villeneuve, P.J., and Krewski, D. The Influence of Ambient Coarse Particulate Matter on Asthma Hospitalization in Children: Case-Crossover and Time-Series Analyses. Environ. Health Perspect. Vol. 110, pp. 575-581, 2002.
Environmental Health Perspectives [ehp.niehs.nih.gov] offers the abstract online.
