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Ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pulmonary function in children

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 25, pages 295–302 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

Few studies have examined the relationship between ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pulmonary function in children. Major sources include vehicular emissions, home heating, wildland fires, agricultural burning, and power plants. PAHs are an important component of fine particulate matter that has been linked to respiratory health. This cross-sectional study examines the relationship between estimated individual exposures to the sum of PAHs with 4, 5, or 6 rings (PAH456) and pulmonary function tests (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity) in asthmatic and non-asthmatic children. We applied land-use regression to estimate individual exposures to ambient PAHs for averaging periods ranging from 1 week to 1 year. We used linear regression to estimate the relationship between exposure to PAH456 with pre- and postbronchodilator pulmonary function tests in children in Fresno, California (N=297). Among non-asthmatics, there was a statistically significant association between PAH456 during the previous 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year and postbronchodilator FEV1. The magnitude of the association increased with the length of the averaging period ranging from 60 to 110 ml decrease in FEV1 for each 1 ng/m3 increase in PAH456. There were no associations with PAH456 observed among asthmatic children. We identified an association between annual PAHs and chronic pulmonary function in children without asthma. Additional studies are needed to further explore the association between exposure to PAHs and pulmonary function, especially with regard to differential effects between asthmatic and non-asthmatic children.

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Abbreviations

ATS:

American Thoracic Society

CHAPS:

Children’s Health and Air Pollution Study

CI:

confidence interval

FACES:

Fresno Asthmatic Children’s Environment Study

FEF25–75:

forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity

FEV1:

forced expiratory volume in one second

PAH456:

PAHs with 4, 5, or 6 rings

PAHs:

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

PM:

particulate matter

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Acknowledgements

We thank colleagues at Sonoma Technology for the exposure assessment. This work was supported by NIH (K99ES021470, P01ES022849, P20 ES018173, R01 HL081521, R01ES020926), the McCormick Fund at Stanford, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Junior Faculty Fund, the Westly Foundation, the Global Health Research Foundation, CDC cooperative agreement 5U19EH000097-04, the California Air Resources Board (contract nos. 99-322, 99-323, and 01-346), the US EPA (PO no. 2A-0540-NASX), the Austin Memorial Fund, and the Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center (RFA 2005-01). This publication was made possible by US EPA STAR Grants RD83459601 and RD83543501. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the grantee and do not necessarily represent the official views of the US EPA. Further, the US EPA does not endorse the purchase of any commercial products or services mentioned in the publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics – Neonatology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Amy M Padula & Kari Nadeau

  2. Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA

    John R Balmes, Ellen A Eisen, Jennifer Mann, Elizabeth M Noth, Boriana Pratt, Ira B Tager & S Katharine Hammond

  3. Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    John R Balmes

  4. Sonoma Technology, Petaluma, CA, USA

    Frederick W Lurmann

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  1. Amy M Padula
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Correspondence to Amy M Padula.

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Appendix

Appendix

Table a1a Adjusteda association of PAH and maximum, pre- BD PFTs, stratified asthma status (estimate/95% CI) for CHAPS study population.
Full size table
Table a1b Adjusteda association of PAH and maximum, post-BD PFTs, stratified asthma status (coefficient/95% CI) for CHAPS study population.
Full size table
Table a2a Adjusteda association of PAH and maximum, pre-BD, PFTs, stratified controller medication use among asthmatics (estimate/95% CI) for CHAPS study population.
Full size table
Table a2b Adjusteda association of PAH and maximum, post-BD PFTs, stratified controller medication use among asthmatics (coefficient/95% CI) for CHAPS study population
Full size table

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Padula, A., Balmes, J., Eisen, E. et al. Ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pulmonary function in children. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 25, 295–302 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2014.42

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