HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (5) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ihorst, G. Articles by Kuehr, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ihorst, G. Articles by Kuehr, J.

Long- and medium-term ozone effects on lung growth including a broad spectrum of exposure

¹ University Children's Hospital, ² Institute for Medical Biometry and Medical Informatics, ³ St. Josefs Hospital, Freiburg, Germany, ⁴ University Children's Hospital, Vienna, Austria

CORRESPONDENCE: G. Ihorst, Institute for Medical Biometry and Medical Informatics, Stefan-Meier Str. 26, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany. Fax: 49 7612036688. E-mail: Gabi@imbi.uni-freiburg.de

Keywords: children, long-term exposure, lung growth, ozone

Received: February 27, 2003
Accepted September 30, 2003

The effects of semi-annual and 3.5 yr mean ozone (O₃) concentrations on children's forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) were assessed over a study period of 3.5 yrs in 2,153 schoolchildren from 15 study sites in South Western Germany and Lower Austria.

Spirometric parameters were assessed twice a year, and differences between consecutive measurements divided by days were considered as a measure of lung growth. Exposure was analysed in four classes, separately for winter and summer (semi-annual mean O₃ concentrations 22–30, 30–38, 38–46, 46–54 parts per billion (ppb) in summer and 4–12, 12–20, 20–28, 28–36 ppb in winter).

Regression methods for repeated measurements were used, and these revealed a significantly lower FVC (FEV₁) increase estimated at –19.2 (–18.5) mL·100 days^–1 for semi-annual mean O₃ exposure in summer between 46 and 54 ppb compared to exposure between 22 and 30 ppb. However, in winter, the estimated difference in FVC (FEV₁) was 16.4 (10.9) mL·100 days^–1 between the semi-annual O₃ class 28–36 ppb and the 4–12 ppb class. By means of linear regression the study found that there was no association between growth rates and mean summer O₃ for FVC and FEV₁ over a 3.5 yr period.

The authors conclude that medium-term effects on schoolchildren's lung growth are possibly present, but are in the long-term not detectable for forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second over a 3.5 yr period due to partial reversibility.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. V. Fanucchi, C. G. Plopper, M. J. Evans, D. M. Hyde, L. S. Van Winkle, L. J. Gershwin, and E. S. Schelegle Cyclic exposure to ozone alters distal airway development in infant rhesus monkeys Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, October 1, 2006; 291(4): L644 - L650. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]