This ten-year longitudinal
study aims to answer three questions: Do
children living in high air pollution areas
suffer deleterious chronic respiratory effects?
Do children living in high pollution areas
suffer greater rates of acute respiratory
illness, more severe respiratory illness
and/or exacerbation of underlying disease
(e.g., more asthma episodes in asthmatics)?
Are there sub-populations of children more
susceptible to the effects of air pollution
than their peers? These questions are being
addressed by studying 6,000 school children
in 12 communities with varying air pollution
levels and patterns in Southern California
through pulmonary function testing, absence
monitoring and questionnaire approaches.
Health endpoints are being compared to extensive
measurements of air pollution including
ozone, NO2, PM10 and acid vapors both at
the ambient (community) level and at the
individual level, over time (see Exposure
Assessment Research Core). Other factors
that contribute to respiratory disease are
also being considered both for their direct
effects and also to control confounding. |
