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The Potential Effects of Policy-driven Air Pollution Interventions on Childhood Lung Development.
- Source :
-
American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine [Am J Respir Crit Care Med] 2020 Feb 15; Vol. 201 (4), pp. 438-444. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Rationale: Although elevated air pollution exposure impairs lung-function development in childhood, it remains a challenge to use this information to estimate the potential public health benefits of air pollution interventions in exposed populations. Objectives: Apply G-computation to estimate hypothetical effects of several realistic scenarios for future air pollution reductions on lung growth. Methods: Mixed-effects linear regression was used to estimate FEV <subscript>1</subscript> and FVC from age 11 to 15 years in 2,120 adolescents across 3 cohorts (1993-2001, 1997-2004, and 2007-2011). Models included regional pollutants (nitrogen dioxide [NO <subscript>2</subscript> ] or particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm [PM <subscript>2.5</subscript> ]) and other important covariates. Using G-computation, a causal inference-based method, we then estimated changes in mean lung growth in our population for hypothetical interventions on either NO <subscript>2</subscript> or PM <subscript>2.5</subscript> . Confidence intervals (CIs) were computed by bootstrapping ( N = 1,000). Measurements and Main Results: Compared with the effects of exposure from observed NO <subscript>2</subscript> concentrations during the study period, had communities remained at 1994 to 1997 NO <subscript>2</subscript> levels, FEV <subscript>1</subscript> and FVC growth were estimated to have been reduced by 2.7% (95% CI, -3.6 to -1.8) and 4.2% (95% CI, -5.2 to -3.4), respectively. If NO <subscript>2</subscript> concentrations had been reduced by 30%, we estimated a 4.4% increase in FEV <subscript>1</subscript> growth (95% CI, 2.8-5.9) and a 7.1% increase in FVC growth (95% CI, 5.7-8.6). Comparable results were observed for PM <subscript>2.5</subscript> interventions. Conclusions: We estimated that substantial increases in lung function would occur as a result of interventions that reduce NO <subscript>2</subscript> or PM <subscript>2.5</subscript> concentrations. These findings provide a quantification of potential health benefits of air quality improvement.
- Subjects :
- Adolescent
Air Pollution statistics & numerical data
Child
Child Development drug effects
Environmental Exposure statistics & numerical data
Female
Forced Expiratory Volume physiology
Humans
Male
Air Pollution adverse effects
Air Pollution legislation & jurisprudence
Air Pollution prevention & control
Environmental Exposure adverse effects
Environmental Exposure legislation & jurisprudence
Environmental Exposure prevention & control
Lung growth & development
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1535-4970
- Volume :
- 201
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 31644884
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201903-0670OC