Locally-generated particulate pollution and respiratory symptoms in young children

Nevil Pierse ¹, Lesley Rushton ¹, Robert Harris ¹, Claudia Kuehni ², Michael Silverman ¹ and Jonathan Grigg ^1*

¹ University of Leicester, United Kingdom
² University of Bern, Switzerland

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jg33{at}le.ac.uk.

Accepted 7 December 2005

Abstract

Background: Particulate matter <10mm (PM10) from fossil-fuel combustion is associated with an increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms in children and adolescents. However, the effect of PM10 on respiratory symptoms in young children is unclear.

Methods: We aimed to define the association between primary PM10 (particles directly-emitted from local sources) on prevalence and incidence of respiratory symptoms in a random sample cohort of 4,400 Leicestershire children aged 1 to 5 years who were surveyed in 1998, and again in 2001. Annual exposure to primary PM10 was calculated for the home address using the AirViro dispersion model, and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals calculated for each µg/m3 increase.

Results: Exposure to primary PM10 was associated with prevalence of cough without a cold, in both 1998 and 2001, with adjusted ORs of 1.21 (1.07 to 1.38) and 1.56 (1.32 to 1.84) respectively. For night-time cough, the ORs were 1.06 (0.94 to 1.19) and 1.25 (1.06 to 1.47), and for current wheeze 0.99 (0.88 to 1.12) and 1.28 (1.04 to1.58) respectively. In addition, there was an association between primary PM10 and new-onset symptoms. The ORs for incident symptoms were 1.62 (1.31 to 2.00) for cough without a cold, and 1.42 (1.02 to 1.97) for wheeze.

Conclusion: In young children, we found a consistent association between locally-generated primary PM10 and prevalence and incidence of cough without a cold and incidence of wheeze, which was independent of potential confounders.

Keywords: cough, particles, pollution, preschool children, wheeze

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