Exploring the association between pulmonary function and air pollution exposure in healthy children in Jinan, Shandong Province: based on a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have focused on the effects of air pollution on lung function in children with respiratory diseases, and there is insufficient evidence on healthy children. This cross-sectional study therefore aimed to investigate the relationship between air pollutants and lung function in healthy children.

Methods: We collected lung function measurements between December 2016 and December 2020 from a total of 780 healthy children aged 7-11 years old in an elementary school in Jinan City. Air pollutant data, including particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM_2.5) and ≤10 µm (PM₁₀), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O₃), were collected from the nearest monitoring stations to the school. Multiple linear regression models were developed to assess the relationship between pollutants and children's lung function indices.

Results: Increasing pollutant concentrations were associated with decreases in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁), peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory flow at 25% (FEF₂₅) and forced expiratory flow at 75% (FEF₇₅). In addition, this effect had a lag effect and a cumulative lag effect, especially at lag 3 d, with significant decreases in FEV₁ and PEF. Specifically, for every 10 µg/m³ increase in the concentrations of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂, and CO, the FEV₁ decreased by 1.05 mL [95% confidence interval (CI): -2.02, -0.08], 1.18 mL (95% CI: -1.94, -0.42), 4.96 mL (95% CI: -8.08, -1.84), 4.94 mL (95% CI: -7.59, -2.28), and 0.11 mL (95% CI: -0.20, -0.01), respectively. For every 10 µg/m³ increase in PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂, and CO, PEF decreased by 3.80 mL (95% CI: -6.51, -1.08), 16.73 mL (95% CI: -27.83, -5.63), 17 mL (95% CI: -26.44, -7.55), and 0.39 mL (95% CI: -0.72, -0.05), respectively. Boys' lung function was more sensitive to pollutants than girls'.

Conclusions: Short-term exposure to air pollutants is harmful to children's health and appropriate protective measures should be taken to minimize the adverse effects of air pollution on children's health.