Air pollution control and the occurrence of acute respiratory illness in school children of Quito, Ecuador

Because of air quality management and control, traffic-related air pollution has declined in Quito, Ecuador. The authors evaluated the effect of a city-wide 5-year air pollution control program on the occurrence of acute respiratory illness (ARI). They compared two studies conducted at the same location in Quito: in 2000, 2 years before the policy to control vehicle emission was introduced, and in 2007. Each study involved ~ 730 children aged 6-12 years, observed for 15 weeks. The authors examined associations between carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) serum concentration-an exposure proxy for carbon monoxide (CO)-ambient CO, and ARI in both cohorts. In 2007, they found a 48% reduction in the ARI incidence (RR 0.52; 95% CI 0.45-0.62, p < 0.0001), and 92% decrease in the percentage of children with COHb > 2.5% as compared to the 2000 study. They found no association between COHb concentrations above the safe level of 2.5% and the ARI incidence (p = 0.736). The decline in air pollution due to vehicle emissions control was associated with a lower incidence of respiratory illness in school children.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1057/s41271-018-0148-6
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/01975897
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2018 Bertha Estrella et al.
• Authors:
  • Estrella, Bertha
  • Sempertegui, Fernando
  • Franco, Oscar H
  • Cepeda, Magda
  • Naumova, Elena N
• Publication Date: 2019-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 17-34
• Serial:
  • Journal of Public Health Policy
  • Volume: 40
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
  • ISSN: 0197-5897
  • EISSN: 1745-655X
  • Serial URL: https://link.springer.com/journal/41271

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Air quality management; Diseases and medical conditions; School children
• Geographic Terms: Quito (Ecuador)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01714674
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 26 2019 10:30AM