Indoor Air, Sept. 2011.
Indoor air pollution and lung function growth among children in four Chinese cities
Ananya Roy, et al.
Ambient air pollution has been associated with decreased growth in lung function among children; but little is known about the impact of indoor air pollution. We examined relationships between indoor air pollution metrics and lung function growth, among children (n=3,273) aged 6-13 years living in four Chinese cities. Lung function parameters (FVC and FEV1) were measured twice a year.
Among children living in houses where coal was used as a fuel and no ventilation devices were present adjusted FVC and FEV1 growth respectively were 37% and 61% that of the average growth per year in the full cohort. This suggests that household coal use may cause deficits in lung function growth, while using ventilation devices may be protective of lung development.
