[Lung function and prevalence of irritation of eyes and respiratory airways on days with elevated ozone concentrations].

Abstract

In order to evaluate potential health effects on days with elevated ozone concentrations, lung function parameters and subjective votes on irritations of eyes and airways were taken repeatedly from subjects belonging to four assumed ozone risk groups and one control group (at least 40 subjects each) - senior citizens, juvenile asthmatics, forestry workers, athletes and clerks - in comparison of days with elevated (at least 100 micrograms/m3) and low ozone concentrations (at most 80 micrograms/m3). The results show no relevant ozone effects for the groups, "senior citizens" and "athletes", only minor pulmonary effects for "juvenile asthmatics", but significantly higher airway resistances on "ozone days" for "forestry workers" (by 21%) and "clerks" (by 16%). On days with moderately elevated levels of ozone in the environment it is assumed that ozone itself has minor influence on pulmonary responses compared to that of other constituents of the air in certain location like forest or indoors.