Environmental ozone effects in different population subgroups.

The study objective was to get more information on characteristics of ozone risk groups. We performed repeated (on average 16 times) lung function tests and interviews with 171 persons belonging to four different population subgroups (44 healthy children, 43 juvenile asthmatics, 43 athletes, and 41 elderly). The environmental half hour mean ozone concentrations ranged from 8 to 99 ppb. For two groups there was significant NO2 co-pollution. The asthmatics showed statistically significant ozone related increased ORs for eye irritations, the elderly for nose irritations. Significant lung function decrements (increase in ozone by 50 ppb) were found for asthmatics (FVC -4.3% afternoon one day lag, -4.9% afternoon two day lag, -3.6% morning one day lag) and children (FVC -3.2% same morning, PEF -11.9% same morning, PEF -4.6% morning one day lag). In the group of elderly, however, there were also some significant FVC and PEF increments. Ozone responders were found more often in the groups of asthmatics and children (21% resp. 18%) compared with elderly and athletes (both 5%). The results suggest that children and asthmatics have a higher risk of being ozone sensitive showing more ozone related acute lung function decrements than other population groups.