BACKGROUND: The association of long-term air pollution and lung function has not been studied across adult European multi-national populations before. The aim of this study was to determine the association between long-term urban background air pollution and lung function levels, as well as change in lung function among European adults. METHODS: Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and the ratio thereof (FEV1/FVC) were assessed at baseline and after 9 years of follow-up in adults from 21 European centres (followed-up sample 5610). Fine particles (PM(2.5)) were measured in 2000/2001 using central monitors. RESULTS: Despite sufficient statistical power no significant associations were found between city-specific annual mean PM(2.5) and average lung function levels. The findings also do not support an effect on change in lung function, albeit statistical power was insufficient to significantly detect such an association. CONCLUSIONS: The inability to refuse the null hypothesis may reflect (i) no effect of urban air pollution on lung function or (ii) inherent biases due to the study design. Examples of the latter are lack of individual-level air quality assignment, not quantified within-city contrasts in traffic-related pollution, or the heterogeneity of the studied populations and their urban environments. Future studies on long-term effects of air pollution on lung function could increase statistical power and reduce potential misclassification and confounding by characterizing exposure on the level of individuals, capturing contrasts due to local sources, in particular traffic.
BACKGROUND: The association of long-term air pollution and lung function has not been studied across adult European multi-national populations before. The aim of this study was to determine the association between long-term urban background air pollution and lung function levels, as well as change in lung function among European adults. METHODS: Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and the ratio thereof (FEV1/FVC) were assessed at baseline and after 9 years of follow-up in adults from 21 European centres (followed-up sample 5610). Fine particles (PM(2.5)) were measured in 2000/2001 using central monitors. RESULTS: Despite sufficient statistical power no significant associations were found between city-specific annual mean PM(2.5) and average lung function levels. The findings also do not support an effect on change in lung function, albeit statistical power was insufficient to significantly detect such an association. CONCLUSIONS: The inability to refuse the null hypothesis may reflect (i) no effect of urban air pollution on lung function or (ii) inherent biases due to the study design. Examples of the latter are lack of individual-level air quality assignment, not quantified within-city contrasts in traffic-related pollution, or the heterogeneity of the studied populations and their urban environments. Future studies on long-term effects of air pollution on lung function could increase statistical power and reduce potential misclassification and confounding by characterizing exposure on the level of individuals, capturing contrasts due to local sources, in particular traffic.
Authors: Getahun Bero Bedada; Joachim Heinrich; Thomas Götschi; Sara H Downs; Bertil Forsberg; Deborah Jarvis; Christina Luczynska; Argo Soon; Jordi Sunyer; Kjell Toren; Nino Künzli Journal: Int J Hyg Environ Health Date: 2006-12-15 Impact factor: 5.840
Authors: M Brauer; G Hoek; H A Smit; J C de Jongste; J Gerritsen; D S Postma; M Kerkhof; B Brunekreef Journal: Eur Respir J Date: 2007-01-24 Impact factor: 16.671
Authors: C Schindler; U Ackermann-Liebrich; P Leuenberger; C Monn; R Rapp; G Bolognini; J P Bongard; O Brändli; G Domenighetti; W Karrer; R Keller; T G Medici; A P Perruchoud; M H Schöni; J M Tschopp; B Villiger; J P Zellweger Journal: Epidemiology Date: 1998-07 Impact factor: 4.822
Authors: Nino Künzli; Ian S Mudway; Thomas Götschi; Tingming Shi; Frank J Kelly; Sarah Cook; Peter Burney; Bertil Forsberg; James W Gauderman; Marianne E Hazenkamp; Joachim Heinrich; Deborah Jarvis; Dan Norbäck; Felix Payo-Losa; Albino Poli; Jordi Sunyer; Paul J A Borm Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2006-05 Impact factor: 9.031
Authors: Johanna Lepeule; Augusto A Litonjua; Brent Coull; Petros Koutrakis; David Sparrow; Pantel S Vokonas; Joel Schwartz Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 2014-09-01 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: Catherine H Miele; Matthew R Grigsby; Trishul Siddharthan; Robert H Gilman; J Jaime Miranda; Antonio Bernabe-Ortiz; Robert A Wise; William Checkley Journal: Thorax Date: 2018-07-30 Impact factor: 9.139
Authors: W James Gauderman; Robert Urman; Edward Avol; Kiros Berhane; Rob McConnell; Edward Rappaport; Roger Chang; Fred Lurmann; Frank Gilliland Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2015-03-05 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Meredith Franklin; Hita Vora; Edward Avol; Rob McConnell; Fred Lurmann; Feifei Liu; Bryan Penfold; Kiros Berhane; Frank Gilliland; W James Gauderman Journal: J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol Date: 2012-01-18 Impact factor: 5.563