Improvement in Air Quality Benefits Children?s Health
Following German reunification in 1990, there was a tremendous decline in combustion-derived emissions of sulfur dioxide and total suspended particulate (TSP) in Eastern Germany.
This provided a unique opportunity to study trends in the prevalence of respiratory illness along with the improvement in air quality.
This review focused on the results of two repeated surveys of nonallergic respiratory disease of children living in East Germany. The surveys found that declines in chronic bronchitis were associated with the decline in TSP.
Another study of three communities in East Germany measured lung function in 2,500 children. Lung function increased as TSP and sulfur dioxide pollution declined. Researchers concluded that “a reduction of air pollution in a short time period may improve children’s lung function.”
Heinrich, J. Nonallergic Respiratory Morbidity Improved Along With a Decline of Traditional Air Pollution Levels: A Review. European Respiratory Journal. Vol. 21, Suppl. 40, pp. 1s-6s, 2003.
The National Library of Medicine [www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/] offers the abstract online.
Frye, C., Hoelscher, B., Cyrys, J., Wjst, M., Wichmann, H.-E., and Heinrich, J. Association of Lung Function Declining Ambient Air Pollution. Environmental Health Perspectives. Vol. 111, No. 3, pp. 383-387, March 2003.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [http://ehis.niehs.nih.gov/] offers the article online.
