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Nonallergic respiratory morbidity improved along with a decline of traditional air pollution levels: a review

CORRESPONDENCE: J. Heinrich, GSF-Institute of Epidemiology, P.O. Box 1129, D-85758 Oberschleissheim, Germany. Fax: 49 8931873380. E-mail: Joachim.Heinrich@gsf.de

Keywords: air pollution, children, geographical differences, lung function, respiratory diseases

Received: April 12, 2002
The tremendous decline of combustion-derived emissions of traditional air pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and total suspended particles (TSP) in Eastern Germany shortly after German reunification in 1990 provided the unique opportunity to study trends of prevalence of respiratory illness along with the improvement of air quality.

The present review focused on the results of two repeated surveys of nonallergic respiratory illness in children living in East Germany. The crude prevalence of respiratory illness such as lifetime bronchitis, otitis media, tonsillitis, frequent colds, and frequent cough decreased during the 1990s in East German children. For two surveys the effect estimates showed consistently statistically significant association of TSP with bronchitis. For SO₂ statistically significant associations with frequent colds were also consistently found, whereas at least one survey reported higher statistically significant effect estimates for tonsillitis, otitis media, frequent cough and reduced forced vital capacity.

The present study concludes that the prevalence of nonallergic respiratory illness in East German children is associated with sulphur dioxide and total suspended particles and that the improvement of air quality has beneficial effects on respiratory health.