1. The South Karelia Air Pollution Study: effects of low-level exposure to malodorous sulfur compounds on symptoms
- Author
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Jouni J. K. Jaakkola, V. Vilkka, O Marttila, P Jäppinen, Kirsi Partti-pellinen, and Tari Haahtela
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Eye Diseases ,Respiratory Tract Diseases ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Industrial Waste ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Random Allocation ,Animal science ,Central Nervous System Diseases ,medicine ,Prevalence ,Environmental Chemistry ,Humans ,Respiratory system ,Sulfur dioxide ,Finland ,General Environmental Science ,Air Pollutants ,Inhalation ,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Odds ratio ,Environmental Exposure ,Middle Aged ,Sulfur ,Confidence interval ,Surgery ,Dose–response relationship ,chemistry ,Relative risk ,Female ,business - Abstract
Exposure to very low levels of ambient-air malodorous sulfur compounds and their effect on eye irritation, respiratory-tract symptoms, and central nervous system symptoms in adults were assessed. A cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire (response rate = 77%) was distributed during March and April 1992 to adults (n = 336) who lived in a neighborhood that contained a pulp mill and in a nonpolluted reference community (n = 380). In the exposed community, the measured annual mean concentrations of total reduced sulfur compounds and sulfur dioxide measured in two stations were 2 to 3 micrograms/m3 and 1 micrograms/m3, respectively. In the reference community, the annual mean concentration of sulfur dioxide was 1 micrograms/m3. The residents of the community near the pulp mill reported an excess of cough, respiratory infections, and headache during the previous 4 wk, as well as during the preceding 12 mo. The relative risk for headache was increased significantly in the exposed community, compared with the reference area: the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was 1.83 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.06-3.15] during the previous 4 wk and 1.70 (95% CI = 1.05-2.73) during the preceding 12 mo. The relative risk for cough was also increased during the preceding 12 mo (aOR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.01-2.64). These results indicated that adverse health effects of malodorous sulfur compounds occur at lower concentrations than reported previously.
- Published
- 1996